The Jefferson Presidency Terms
Anglophilic, Anglophile
Characterized by an attachment to England or a great respect or fascination for English customs, history, and/or culture.Embargo, Embargos, Embargoed
A government-ordered suspension of foreign trade. The embargo requested by President Thomas Jefferson, and enacted by Congress between December 21st, 1807 and March 1st, 1809, forbade American ships from engaging in foreign commerce in hopes of pressuring Great Britain and France to recognize American commercial rights as a neutral nation.The Enlightenment, Enlightenment
This term refers to a philosophical movement as well as a period in history centered in the 18th century. Central to the philosophy and the period was a belief in reason as both the organizing force within nature and the defining attribute of humanity. The Enlightenment was therefore highly optimistic about the character of the universe and man's ability to unravel its logic. A blind obedience to tradition and a reliance on faith were replaced with a confidence in the scientific method and the demand that ideas be supported by evidence.Federalist, Federalists
This term can be confusing as it was employed to describe two overlapping but different groups. It was first adopted by those supporting ratification of the Constitution. They wanted a term that distinguished this new government from the Confederation established under the Articles and by comparison, suggested the increased strength of the new government. But they also wanted to avoid the suggestion of a too strong government—the sort that might be suggested by the term "nationalists." The term "Federalist" satisfied this need.When political parties started to form during Washington's administration, the term was re-employed to identify those favoring a stronger, more assertive federal government. But it also carried other connotations— most importantly, a belief that the views of the people needed to be filtered through the experience and education of the "wise and the good."
Impressment
The forced conscription or drafting of men into military service. Great Britain claimed, as a matter of national security, the right to force British citizens into the Royal Navy. Britain also claimed the right to intercept foreign vessels in order to search for and seize deserters from its navy as well as British citizens attempting to avoid naval service.Jay Treaty
A treaty between the United States and Great Britain, ratified by the United States Senate in 1795. Negotiated by John Jay, the treaty increased American access to British West Indian ports and established a commission to negotiate compensation for American cargoes seized by the British. In return, the United States agreed to the establishment of a commission to resolve debt disputes dating to before the Revolutionary War.The Jay Treaty triggered intense political debate. While opposition to the treaty came from several directions, Southern Republicans were most outraged. The treaty's commercial clauses most benefited the North, while the debt commission established by the treaty forced Southerners to pay old debts they hoped had become unrecoverable as a result of the Revolution. Jay also failed to even raise the issue most critical to Southern planters: compensation for their slaves that had been either freed or confiscated by the British during the Revolutionary War.
Judicial Review
The authority of the courts to rule on the constitutionality of legislative actions. This power wasn't expressly granted in the Constitution and wasn't universally acknowledged with the ratification of the Constitution in 1789. Alexander Hamilton argued in Federalist #78 that it was implied by Article III of the Constitution. But others argued that this claim placed the judiciary above the legislative branch and contradicted the democratic premises of America's political system.In Marbury v. Madison (1803), the Supreme Court asserted this power for the first time. Chief Justice John Marshall's Court would assert the same power in 15 additional cases. Some continued to challenge the court's authority to do so, but the principle of judicial review was widely established by Marshall's death in 1835.
Manumit, Manumission
To free or emancipate a slave. Prior to the American Revolution, southern states forbade private manumission; a slave could only be freed through legislative act. After the Revolution, Virginia, in 1782, was the first southern state to legalize private manumission. While the law allowed slaveowners, either still living or in their wills, to free their slaves, the latter was the more common practice. Consequently, the term is commonly equated with the practice of freeing a slave through one's will.Nullification
The doctrine of nullification claimed that individual states had the authority to cancel or void a federal law that they believed was incompatible with the Constitution, or in some cases, contrary to the interests of a particular state.Radical Whigs
The Radical Whigs were a British political faction critical of the king and his court that first emerged in the late-17th century. Their writings about the tendency of all governments to abuse their powers were very influential in the years preceding the American Revolution.Republican, Republican, Republicanism
This term described a philosophy before it did a party. Republicanism held that individuals should subordinate their interests to the common good and the aim of the political process was to identify and build consensus around that common interest. As republicanism required self-sacrifice, the philosophy also emphasized the need to cultivate a virtuous and rational electorate.While persons across the political spectrum identified with this term, Jefferson's followers adopted the name Republican, or at times, Democratic-Republican, for their emerging party during the 1796 election.
As a party, Republicans sought to reverse the government-expanding policies of the Federalists who dominated the national government during the 1790s. Believing that common people were inherently virtuous and capable of managing their own affairs, and that governments had a tendency toward corruption, Republicans advocated a small and frugal central government.
This party should not be confused with either of the current major parties. The evolution of American political parties is much more complex. But in very simple terms, this process can be traced to the 1820s when the Democratic-Republican Party began to divide. One group would follow Andrew Jackson and call themselves Democrats. The other faction, labeled National Republicans in the 1820s, would evolve into the Whig Party. Members of the Whig Party, like Abraham Lincoln, would play an important part in the development of the modern Republican Party of the 1850s.