Jefferson and the "revolution of 1800"

The election of 1800 is often referred to as a “revolution” because of the discord between the Federalist and the Democratic-Republican parties. While the Federalists craved public order and a strong central government, the Democratic-Republicans, (or Jeffersonian supporters), considered themselves as the “guardians” of liberty, purity, and states rights. Through a chaotic time, Jefferson stood by his principles during the “Revolution of 1800”, by adapting his ideals to conform to reality and staying true to his beliefs.

The election of 1800 between Adams and Jefferson was a bitter one. Federalists were angry with Adams because he would not stand up to France. As the country accumulated pre-war debt and taxes, citizens felt abandoned by their president.

Soon, Jefferson became victim of Federalist rage. He was accused of robbing a widow and her children, fathering many mulatto children by his own female slaves, and maintaining an overly flexible interpretation of the constitution. His successful efforts to separate church and state in Virginia incurred the wrath of the orthodox clergy. His religious beliefs were liberal and preachers rallied against his atheist ways. Old women even burned, buried, or hid their bibles.

Although highly criticized, Jefferson stayed loyal to his principles and standards during his “revolution”. His mission was to restore the republican experiment, to revitalize the growth of government, and to prevent the “decay of virtue” which had taken place under Federalist rule. He was fully determined to undo previous Federalist abuses. Under the hated and (expired) Sedition Acts, he freed all “martyrs” serving sentences. The new Naturalization Law of 1802 reduced the requirement of 14 years of residence to 5 years. He steered the nation away from the Hamiltonian economic system, and repealed the Excise Tax, which bred bureaucrats. He kept the bank of America intact and did no damage to the Federalist