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Questions For Class Discussion

Questions For Class Discussion
Chapter 11: The Triumphs and Travails of Jeffersonian Republic, 1800 - 1812

  1. In what sense, if any, is the idea of a Revolution of 1800 justified? (Note that Jefferson himself always considered that his election represented a genuine revolutionbut what did he really mean or understand by that term in this context?)

  2. How important was establishing the principle of judicial review? Does that principle make more sense than Jefferson's belief that the states retained the final authority on the meaning of the Constitution? How important was the failed attempt to impeach Samuel Chase in establishing an independent judiciary? What role should Supreme Court justices play in politics?

  3. Why was Jefferson willing to fight for the freedom of the sea versus the pasha of Tripoli (who required tribute) but not against Britain (which was impressing American sailors)? Did Jefferson make a mistake in fighting for freedom in only one of these instances? When should America fight for its freedom, and when should it not?

  4. How did Jeffersons Louisiana Purchase transform Americas understanding of itself and its future? Was it inevitable that the west would become part of a much greater United States, or was there real danger in efforts like Aaron Burrs to break those areas off from the country?

  5. How does the period 1800 - 1812 look if viewed through American Indian eyes? Could the attempt of Tecumseh and the Prophet to unite western Indians against American expansion have created a different dynamic in white-Indian relations?

  6. Was there any merit at all in Jeffersons embargo policy? Could some other policy have succeeded? Was Madisons ill-prepared stumble into war any better than the embargo, or was the United States simply stuck in an impossible position between Britain and France?

  7. Was America controlling its own destiny in the first decade and a half of the nineteenth century or was it reacting to the destinies of foreign nations and their leaders? Consider the Barbary pirates, the sale of Louisiana, Jefferson's embargo, and the War of 1812. How influential was Napoleon on American history?



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