11.1 Jefferson Takes Control pp. 356-360

Objectives: Describe Jefferson’s style of governing. Describe how the Supreme Court increased its power.

A. Thomas Jefferson (p. 356) Thomas Jefferson, our third President, was also a writer, botanist, musician, architect, and speaker of several languages. He founded the University of Virginia and designed the Virginia capitol building. He even designed his home near Charlottesville, Virginia, which he called Monticello.

A Few of Thomas Jefferson’s Direct Descendants

B. The Jeffersonian Revolution (pp. 356-357) Jefferson’s election is often referred to as the “Revolution of 1800.” On March 4, 1801, Jefferson became the first President to take the oath of office in Washington DC. In his Inaugural Address, Jefferson sounded a healing note by saying “We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists.”

C. Simplifying the Government (pp. 357-359) Unlike the Federalists, Jefferson favored a very limited and “hands-off” governmental policy called laissez-faire. Working with his Secretary of Treasury, Albert Gallatin, Jefferson slashed government spending and reduced the size of both the army and navy. Excise taxes were eliminated and the Alien and Sedition Acts were allowed to expire without renewal.

D. Conflict With the Judiciary (p. 359) The Republicans had gained control of the legislative and executive branches of government in 1800. They were outraged when President Adams began filling many positions in the judicial branch with Federalist “midnight judges.” Republicans eliminated many of these positions, but they were less successful in their attempt to remove Federalist judges through impeachment—bringing charges of wrongdoing against a public official.

E. Judicial Review (p. 360) The famous case called Marbury v. Madison involved one of Adams’s last minute appointments, William Marbury, who never received his commission to become a judge. The case was the first time that the Supreme Court used judicial review, the power to declare laws passed by Congress unconstitutional, a major check on legislative power. The Supreme Court ruling in Marbury v. Madison set a precedent—a model that later lawyers and judges would follow.

Review: 1. What is the name of the famous house that Thomas Jefferson designed for himself? 2. What did Jefferson refer to his election as and why? 3. In his Inaugural Address, Jefferson said “We are all _________________, we are all ______________.” 4. Define laissez-faire— 5. Who was Jefferson’s Secretary of Treasury? 6. What were John Adams’s last-minute judicial appointments known as? 7. In which case did the Supreme Court claim for the first time that a law passed by Congress was unconstitutional? 8. Define judicial review— 9. Define precedent—