Jefferson and the pathetic war of 1812

1. Jefferson’s Presidency marked the transition from one political party to another – political parties were starting to gain legitimacy
1. Jefferson tried to appeal to moderate Federalists – he felt political parties were still a bad thing, he wanted to appeal to all good and loyal men
2. Jefferson appointed Republicans to high level positions – he left Federalists in low power offices

i. Madison – Secretary of State

ii. Albert Gallatin – Secretary of Treasury

iii. Henry Dearborn – Secretary of War

3. Jefferson was able to make the gov’t smaller, but he did keep some Federalist creations (Bank of US)

i. He focused on agriculture

ii. Allowed Alien and Sedition acts to expire (he returned money to those who had been fined)

iii. He eliminated circuit judgeships created by Adams to weaken the Republicans

iv. He tried to cuts costs to eliminate the national debt of $83 million

v. He reduced the army and navy, but created West Point

vi. He helped pass laws banning the importation of slaves, these laws were unenforced (1 in 5 Americans was a slave)

2. West
1. Immigrants could buy land in the west for $80
2. 4 new states were added as they grew in population

i. Vermont – 1791

ii. Kentucky – 1792

iii. Tennessee – 1796

iv. Ohio – 1803

3. Farmers were moving into lands inhabited by Native Americans
4. Jefferson and Madison cajoled Nat. Amer. Into unfair treaties
5. A national road was built to provide access to the west – it went from Cumberland MD to Wheeling VA (and eventually to Vandalia IL)
2. Louisiana Purchase
1. Spain was in the process of giving LA to France
2. Westerners were afraid of losing rights to ship on the Miss. River
3. Jefferson sent Monroe to negotiate with France to keep rights to the river
4. France offered to sell it to the US for $15 million

i. Monroe did not have the authority to buy it but agreed to anyway

ii. Jefferson couldn’t buy it on his command – the Senate must approve the purchase

5. Why did France sell?

i. Problems in other colonies in the west led to a fear that problems might develop here

ii. France and Great Britain were about to go to war again and Napoleon needed money

iii. Great Britain could prevent France from getting to their territory due to their superior navy

iv. Create a positive relationship between France and the US – maybe the US would not side with England in the war

6. Federalist response to the LA purchase – Public

i. They accused Jefferson of helping France violate an agreement with Spain

ii. They claimed he bought worthless land and added to the national debt

iii. They claimed (correctly) that the Constitution did not allow President to buy land

7. Private complaints

i. Created area for new farmers (voters) to settle

ii. Made French residents of land US citizens (who might be loyal to Jefferson and the Republicans)

8. Lewis and Clark, and Zebulon Pike are sent to explore the new purchase
3. New Federalist Party and Republican discontent
1. Younger followers were more flexible than the high federalists
2. They turned a philosophy into a political party
3. Some Republicans criticized Jefferson for becoming too much like the young Federalists
4. Vice-President Aaron Burr broke with Jefferson and joined the High Federalists

i. He wanted to create a region of NE that was self-sufficient (and might become an ind. nation)

ii. Alexander Hamilton exposed Burr’s ideas

iii. Burr challenges Hamilton to a duel and kills him (he is still VP by the way)

iv. Burr is indicted for murder in NY and NJ – he runs to the west

v. Burr is replaced by George Clinton as VP in 1804 election

vi. Burr is caught helping British in the west, is arrested and tried for treason. He is found not guilty, but his career is over.

5. Prelude to war – US and the world
1. US wants to export goods to the world
2. Paid tribute to pirated from Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli
3. Jefferson sent navy to fight Tripoli, was able to make peace
4. France and Great Britain are at war again (still)

i. Both nations start seizing ships of nations selling to the other

ii. Britain starts impressments of sailors they say are British citizens

iii. Britain fires against US ship Chesapeake off the coast of Virginia

iv. Jefferson stops short of war, but asks for apology and reparations

5. Embargo act of 1807 Congress passes a prohibition against US ships going to foreign ports

i. New England traders continue to trade

ii. Agricultural products pile up and rot – farmers suffer greatly

6. Congress repeals embargo 16 months later as Federalists (merchants) and Republicans (farmers) opposed it
5. President James Madison
1. Republican Madison defeats the Federalist Pinckney
2. War between France and Great Britain is still going
3. Madison passes the Non-intercourse Act – it re-establishes trade with the 2 nations as long as they did not attack US ships or men
4. Britain continued to do both – Madison cuts off relations with England on Feb. 2, 1811
5. On June 1^st Madison declares war on Great Britain – Congress complies
6. Federalist opposition to the war

i. Britain was the biggest market for NE merchants

ii. Britain was considered to be the model of what a gov’t is supposed to be – especially when compared to France

iii. Britain has the best navy in the world – can’t be beaten

7. Reasons for war

i. Neutral country right to free trade

ii. Impressments

iii. Could obtain more land – Florida and Canada

iv. The British were supplying western Indians – chiefs Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa united many tribes with British help to fight western settlers

7. War of 1812
1. An overconfident US declares war on Britain
2. The US has a very small navy, but Britain has only 5000 troops in Canada and is fighting a war against France
3. Congress expands the army

i. They authorize 75,000 new troops (the largest it gets is 35,000 troops)

ii. The Navy is tiny – they have well trained officers, but few men or ships

iii. Ships are ordered to be built, they are not finished until after the war is over

4. Congress needs money to wage the war

i. They double tariffs, pass excise taxes, pass a stamp tax, taxed states directly, tried to issue bonds

ii. There was no National Bank (it’s charter had expired), and the state banks were too small to fund a war

5. Battles of 1812

i. 3 prong attack on Canada fails

1. General Hull attacks from Detroit – retreats when he hears Tecumseh has joined the British (skirmishes at the battle of Monguagon in Trenton and Elizabeth park area)—British surround Hull and force his surrender

2. Attack at Niagara – leaders are forced to turn back when the New York militia refused to leave the State – the militia said they would defend the state, but would not attack Canada

3. General Dearborn tried to attack Montreal, but his militia also would not cross the border

6. 1813

i. Captain Perry (US) captured Put-in-bay and controlled Lake Erie

ii. Battle of the Thames – London, Ontario – Chief Tecumseh was killed and the Indian coalition fell apart

7. France loses war with England

i. Britain can send its “A” troops to N America

ii. Attacks and burns Washington DC, they are turned back before they could capture Baltimore (at Fort McHenry – this is where the Star Spangled Banner is written.)

8. 1814 – the US holds its own

i. Britain and Canada could not break through at Niagara

ii. US navy holds off British in Lake Champlain

iii. Andrew Jackson invades Florida – he said he was chasing Indians, in reality he was attacking another nation (Spain)

1. He took Pensacola and retreated to New Orleans

2. The British walked into an ambush at New Orleans – British suffered 2000 casualties, the US 20.

iv. Ironically the war had ended before this battle – communications were too slow for both sides to get the message – this is the only battle on US soil that the United States wins

9. End of the war

i. The British have nothing to fight for now, France has been defeated

ii. England needs US goods, and has no reason to impress troops or capture ships

iii. England does not want to keep the US as a colony again

8. End of the Federalist party
1. NE Federalists had hurt the US

i. Militias chose not to fight for the US, would not attack

ii. Some in the NE still thought about defecting – would have welcomed British control

iii. Many merchants had supplied the British and Canada during the war

2. Hartford convention

i. Federalists meet to protest the war, the 3/5 compromise, restraint of trade from embargo act and non-intercourse act.

ii. They propose limiting the President to 1 term

iii. As they announced their goals the end of the war is also announced as is the victory at New Orleans

iv. Federalists end up looking like traitors, and the party is effectively ended

9. Treaty of Ghent – ends the war
1. Put things the way they were before the war
2. Andrew Jackson moved his army into Florida – Spain could not stop him
3. Spain gives the US Florida for the adoption by the US of $5 million in debts