Transcript Election of 1804

Ratification of 12 th Amendment: to remedy the oversight in
US Constitution; permitted electors of electoral college to
vote separately for president & vice-president!
 Democratic-Republican: Thomas Jefferson
( He dropped the disloyal vice-president Aaron Burr &
replaced
with Governor
George Clinton
of New York!)
 After losing the fight for presidency in 1800, Burr was
desperate to get even with Jefferson!
 While Jefferson ran for reelection in 1804, Burr ran for
governor of New York.
 Needed support of Essex Junto, a powerful group of
New England Federalists-so Burr had to promise if
elected governor, NY would secede from union & join
MA in a new Federalist country!
 Federalist: Charles Pinckney of South Carolina (He
had run on the same ticket with John Adams in 1800).
Winner: Though Pinckney was experienced & qualified,
Jefferson was a popular president & won easily!!!
 Jefferson summed up the successes of his
administration &
looked to the future.
 He announced plans
to build new roads to
western lands & canals
in East to connect
waterways to transport goods easier. (These plans would
be postponed due to a crisis abroad.
 Alexander Hamilton
shocked to learn of plan!
 Wasn’t crazy to see
Jefferson reelected, but
stand his own state (NY)
leaving the Union!
 Hamilton began working
against Burr.
 Burr was enraged &
challenged Hamilton to a
duel.
 On July 11, 1804, Burr
shot and killed
Hamilton!
 Burr fled south, but after
murder charges were
dropped, Burr presided
over Senate through
1805.
 Burr lost election in NY, but
pursued his treasonous
activities: He asked British
minister to the US for
$500,000 & the help of British
navy in taking over LA
Territory-DENIED!
 Burr went
to LA anyway
& tried to
incite
a rebellion
by himself!
 Jefferson became informed by
General James Wilkinson,
military governor of LA
Territory (Burr had presented
him with the idea of
establishing a new empire).
 In 1807- Burr was arrested
for treason- but was
acquitted b/c his plotting
didn’t break any laws!
 Burr left for Europe, only to
return in 1812 under a false
name & practiced law in
NY until his death in 1836.
 After the U.S. bought
what would become the
Louisiana Territory in
1803 for $15M (3 cents per
acre), President Jefferson
chose Capt. Meriweather
Lewis to lead expedition.
Lewis selected William
Clark as his partner in
what they called the
Corps of Discovery.
 1. map the rivers
 2. develop friendly
relationship with Natives
 3. find a waterway to
Pacific Ocean
 4. allow trade to develop
in this new region
 5. learn about plant &
animal life in the West
 Sacajawea was a Native
 When the team arrived in
America from the
Shoshane tribe who joined
the expedition in 1804 to
help the explorers
communicate with the
natives.
 Her husband was a FrenchCanadian fur trapper.
 She maintained peaceful
relations between the
explorers & natives.
Shoshone Territory near
the Rocky Mountains in
1805, a Shoshone chief,
Cameahwait, confirmed
that there was no water
route to the Pacific.
 Later when he recognized
Sacajawea as his sister, he
agreed to sell horses to the
team in order to cross the
mountains.
 Purpose: to explore
the southern
portion of the
Louisiana Territory
& find water sources
of Arkansas & Red
rivers.
 Expedition led by
Zebulon Pike (1806)
 The Arkansas River led
team to discovering the
Rocky Mountains. But
Pike Failed his attempt
to climb it!
 Mountain peak bears
his name: Pike’s Peak
 Found Rio Grande
River instead of Red
River & crossed over
into Spanish territory!
 Spanish troops arrested
expedition team.
 They were finally released
in 1807 & returned to the
United States.
 Accomplishments of
expedition: brought back
valuable descriptions
(scientific & geographical)
of Great Plains & Rio
Grande River Valley.
 Britain & France at war:
 Most sailors came from
both were destroying one
another’s merchant ships.
 Result: large part of West
Indies-Europe trade fell to
U.S.
 American shipbuilding &
commerce grew resulting
in the need for 1,000’s of
sailors.
New England, but many
had deserted from British
ships.
 IMPRESSMENT: British
began stopping ships on
high seas & removing
sailors suspected of being
British.
 B/C it was hard to tell Brits
from Americans, 1,000’s of
Americans were forced into
British Navy!
 …occurred in June 1807,
 Americans wanted war!!!
when the British ship,
Leopard, launched
unprovoked attack on
American ship,
Chesapeake.
 Chesapeake’s captain
refused British to search
his ship for deserters, so
Leopard fired on
Chesapeake.
 Jefferson wanted to
remain neutral, for he
knew America was not
prepared to go to war.
Instead he asked for an
apology from Britain, but
Britain refused!
 Instead of going to war
 HOW? Ships lay idle,
with Britain, Jefferson
sailors & shipbuilders
closed American markets
lost jobs,& exports piled
& cut off sales of
up in warehouses!
American supplies to
 Many Americans evaded
Europe through the
the law-allowing
Embargo Act of 1807 .
smuggling to flourish!
 It backfired!! The
 The act was repealed by
embargo insured U.S.
Congress in March 1809
more than Britain or
France!
 Jefferson did not wish to
run for reelection in
1808.
 He was 65 when he
retired in 1809.
 Died:
 July
 4,
 1826
 At the end he wrote,
“Never did a prisoner,
released from his chains,
feel such relief as I shall
on shaking off the
shackles of power.”