1801-1809

When Thomas Jefferson was first elected, he defeated his friend and rival John Adams but tied with Aaron Burr in the number of votes received. The whole election was sent to the House of Representatives to decide. Jefferson was elected President and Burr became his Vice-President. This would change the way Vice-Presidents were selected in future elections so that the Vice-President would be elected separately from the president himself (the twelfth amendment to the Constitution).

Jefferson became the first democratic-republican President, a tradition to which today's Democratic party still traces its roots. He was also the first of three successive Virginia Presidents (Jefferson, Madison, Monroe), known by historians as the "Virginia Dynasty." Jefferson was down to earth and gracious. Where Washington and Adams had people bow to them, Jefferson was the first President to shake hands with visitors.

The landmark case of Marbury v. Madison reached our nation's Supreme Court during Jefferson's first term as President. This case is still used in our practice of law today.

Perhaps his most remembered act as President, Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory in 1803 from French leader Napoleon for $15 million. This was extremely inexpensive, but Napoleon needed the money to finance his wars in Europe, so Mr. Jefferson got a great deal. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States. It also ended the tension between the English settlers of the eastern United States and the French settlers along the country of the Mississippi River.

With this large expansion of our nation, Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to explore the newly acquired territory. Meriweather Lewis and William Clark traveled west from 1804-1805 when they finally reached the Pacific Ocean with their guide Sacajawea. The United States now had a mapped record of the lands they had acquired, and the westward movement was about to begin.

Jefferson had many difficulties abroad. The Barbary Pirates were constantly harassing American ships, and Jefferson used our fledgling navy to put a stop to the raids. The British also showed little respect for American ships, capturing American men and making them serve in the British Navy. This practice was known as Impressment. This created a crisis when the British ship Leopard stopped the American ship Chesapeake off of the coast of Virginia and demanded that sailors be taken to England for service. This happened after Jefferson had already declared there would be no importing of British goods, and it was considered an act of war. This practice of Impressment, more than any other, would lead to the War of 1812 (unfairly known as "Mr. Madison's War"). The U.S. banned all trade with Britain and France in 1807.

Effective January 1, 1808, Jefferson pushed a bill through Congress outlawing the bringing of slaves from Africa to the United States. In spite of the law, slaves continued to enter the country until the Civil War. With the conclusion of his second term as president, Thomas Jefferson returned home to his beloved Monticello where he could devote his time and energy to his many interests and studies. His life in public service was over .

Jefferson's Cabinet members were:

Vice President:	Aaron Burr (1801-1805)	George Clinton (1805-1809)
Secretary of State:	James Madison
Secretary of the Treasury:	Samuel Dexter (1801)	Albert Gallatin (1801-1809)
Secretary of War:	Henry Dearborn
Attorney General:	Levi Lincoln (1801-1804)	John Breckenridge (1805-1806)	Caesar Rodney (1807-1809)
Secretary of the Navy:	Benjamin Stoddert (1801)	Robert Smith (1801-1809)

PRESIDENTIAL LINKS

Vitae

White House Biography

The Revolution of 1800

Papers of T.J.

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