“We are all Republican, we are all Federalists”
President of the gentleman farmer
-Maintained National Bank, Hamilton’s economic program of debt reduction, and carried on neutrality of both Washington & Adams (all characteristics of Federalists)
-Reduced size of military, eliminated federal jobs, repealed excise tax, lowered national debt (all characteristics of Democratic Republicans)
Louisiana Purchase (1803)
-Despite commitment to strict interpretation of the Constitution, he supported the purchase agreement (Federalist ideal)
-Strengthened his hopes on a future based on an agrarian society of independent farmers (D-R ideal)
Judicial Impeachment
-Despite Chief Justice John Marshall, a staunch Federalist, leading the Supreme Court (Marbury v. Madison, 1803), Jefferson supported a campaign of impeachment to remove partisan Federalist judges including Supreme Court judge, Samuel Chase. His attempts failed but caused Federalist judges to be less partisan.
Barbury Pirates
-Jefferson sent a small fleet of US ships to combat the higher bribes placed on the US by the Barbury states of North Africa. (Federalist ideal of strong executive power)
Challenge to US neutrality
-Jefferson attempted to adhere to the neutrality policy of Washington and Adams.
-Despite his support for the French (D-R ideal), both France and Britain blockaded enemy ports and regularly seized the ships of neutral nations, confiscating their cargoes due to the current Napoleonic Wars.
-As an alternative to war, Jefferson supported the Embargo Act (1807), prohibiting any American merchant ship from sailing to any foreign port.
-His action brought economic hardship to the US, especially New England.
-After its repeal, US ships could finally trade with other nations except Britain and France (Nonintercourse Act)
(All Federalist ideals of strong executive power)
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