The Revolution of 1800

Before the presidencies of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison there was a clear schism between the two political parties in America.There were the Federalists, who favored a loose interpretation of the constitution and believed in “implied powers,” and the Jeffersonian Republicans who were the opposite, preferring a strict interpretation. However, between 1801-1807 the divide between these parties began to close, resulting in neither party fully living up to their characterizations during the presidencies of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison

When Thomas Jefferson was elected into office it was called a “revolution,” with many believing his presidency would lead to a radical change in the policies that were in place. To the surprise of many, however, during Jefferson’s time in office the party took on more Federalist views like those of their predecessors. Nonetheless, in some ways the Jeffersonian Republicans still stood by their former principles. For example, they still advocated state governments, as seen in Thomas Jefferson’s letter to Gideon Granger where he states that “Our country is too large to have all its affairs directed by a single government” and that the true “theory” of the Constitution was the independence of the states [Document 1]. The party also spoke out against the government interfering with religious institutions, doctrines, disciplines, and exercises, which is seen in Jefferson’s letter to Samuel Miller, based on the fact that the Constitution never grants that power to the government [Document 2]. Despite sticking to their characterizations in these ways, in many ways the party drifted to a more Federalist stance.

The first exampleA deal like one negotiated with France over the purchase of Louisiana was not a power directly listed in the Constitution. Deciding to purchase the land anyways is a clear drift from the strict constructionist principles the party is characterized to have. The Jeffersonian Republicans also stepped away from their characterizations hen they created the Embargo Act of 1807. People like Alexander Anderson viewed the Embargo as the “American Snapping Turtle” because it harmed American merchants and was a clear test on the limits of the president’s power [Document 3]. An Embargo like this one is not a power directly stated in the Consitution, therfore if the Jeffersononian Republicans fit hheir characterizations during this time, they should have opposed it. Instead the party supported the Embargo, yet another way the Jeffersonian Republicans swayed from their characterization.

During the presidency of James Madison, the party continued the pattern of supporting some of its former principles, while veering off from others. For example the party stuck to its characterization regarding internal improvements when Madison opposed the Congress’s veto on the basis that “such a power is not expressly given by the Consti-tution”