REVISED:Evaluate the presidency of Thomas Jefferson.

The "Revolution of 1800", or "peaceful transiton of power" was an important factor towards U.S. government. In the election of 1800, Democratic-Republicans Thomas Jefferon and Aaron Burr tied. The election then went into the hands of the House of Respresentatives. It was the support from Hamilton that made Jefferson president. The Jeffersonian Movement, embodied in the Democratic Republican party, represented intrests of the common man and farmer, democraticizing the U.S. It also favored limitations on power of the federal government and strict interpretation of the Constitution.The presidency of Thomas Jefferson had just as much of a positive effect on the United States as it did negative with the purchase of the Louisiana Territory, the "undeclared war" between the U.S. and the Barbary pirates, acts passed such as the Nonintercourse Act(1806), Embargo Act(1807), and Nonintercourse Act(1809), to deal with tension between the British and French, and the stronger judical branch of government brought by John Marshall and the Marshall Court.

The Louisiana Purchase (1803)was considered the most notable achievement of Jefferson's first term. French emperor, Napoleon, needed more money to fight Britain. A succesful slave revolt against the French on the Caribbean island of Santo Domingo led Napoleon to believe, if he could not control a small island in the Caribbean, he could not possibly control an enormous area of land west of the Mississippi River. Thus, he decided to sell France's last major territorial posseion in North America. For the Louisiana Territory, the U.S. only paid
$15 million. Therefore, the territory of the United States practically doubled in size. Jefferson organized an expedition led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to find out as much as possible about the newly bought land.

Though Jefferson had done such good by buying the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon, he, along with the rest of the U.S. government, also spent lots of American money. In North Africa, nations known as the Barbary States were seizing international ships and holding thier crews for ransom. Because the U.S. had no navy, its merchants were vulnerable. The U.S. government would pay tribute to protect its ships, but not until the U.S. defeated the Barbary pirates, did the U.S. cease paying the Barbary States.

Tensions between Britain and France worsened. The tension between the great powers interrupted American trading. From 1805 to 1810, Britain, France, and the United States, went back and forth vigorously. It became a battle of acts and decrees, intended to damper each other's success in trading. Jefferson’s nation held its own against Britain and France. Jefferson faired well with the foreign affairs between Britain and France, but mistakes and inadequacies became more apparent with acts such as the Nonintercourse Act(1806), that was inteded to halt importation of many British commodities but had little effect. Also, the Embargo Act(1807) which prohibithed all foreign trade, hurt the U.S. more than it helped. It had a devastating effect on New England economy and caused many New Englanders to give support to Charles Pickney, the Federalist canidate in the 1808 election. And then a regain of inteligence with the Nonintercourse Act(1809), allowing trade to be opened with all nations but Britain and France, unless either of the two nations repealed its trade restrictions against American shipping.

John Marshall, who was, ironically enough, a Federalist became Supreme Court Justice in 1801 after John Jay resigned, due to inactivity. The Marshall Court became strongly identified with vested rights in contract clauses, expanding the Court's jurisdiction, judicial nationalism over state's rights, blocking state regulations that limited property rights, and freeing American commerce from restraints placed on it by the states. Two of the most important cases of the Marshall Court would be Marbury v. Madison(1803) establishing the concept of judicial review, which is the implied power of the constitutionality of state and federal legislation. And McCulloch v. Maryland(1819) with the Court ruling that the government possesed the implied power to create a national bank; that the bank could not be taxed by a state because this would give the "power to destroy" to the bank; and that federal law is absolute over state law.

In conclusion, the presidency of Thomas Jefferson was a positive and negative battle within itself. Jefferson dealt with foreign challenges to sovereignty of the United States. Yet, the nation was steadily developing with the Louisiana purchase, and an enforcment of national pride with reaction towards the tensions of Britian and France. Also, we can not exclude the importance of John Marshall and the growth of the Marshall Court. So overall, the presidency of Thomas Jefferson had just as much of a positive effect on the United States as it did negative with the purchase of the Louisiana Territory, the "undeclared war" between the U.S. and the Barbary pirates,acts passed such as the Nonintercourse Act(1806), Embargo Act(1807), and Nonintercourse Act(1809), to deal with tension between the British and French, and the stronger judical branch of government brought by John Marshall and the Marshall Court.

To what extent were the Articles of Confederation an inadequate form of government?

The Articles of Confederation, were an inadequate form of government to an extreme extent.The Articles of Confederation's inadequacies are shown in that it was a confederation government, in that nature, it formed a weak central government and most power resided in the states, also, the AOC's inability to convey foreign affairs, such as the failure of the Treaty of Paris,and the AOC government had to request troops from the states,domestically, the government did not have authority to tax and did not establish a uniform currency.

The AOC was formed based on the colonies past with Great Britain. It was formed to not seem as a monarchy or that government was in complete control. With this the colonies had the upmost amount of power and that would only add as another inadequatecy of the AOC. The colonies were basically on a free for all and regulated themselves.The AOC was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. Then, all the colonists were concerned about was not returning their country to the way it was pre-Revolutionary War. An even amount of strong federal government and power within the hands of the people, to an extent, would have been the best form of government for the colonies at the time.

The AOC was unable to convey foreign affairs. After the war, relations with European powers quickly deteriorated, especially with the new nation's former nemisis, Great Britain. In some cases, the colonies brought issues upon themselves, like when they failed to abide by the Treaty of Paris. The U.S. promised to compensate loyalists for confiscated land and to pay foreign debts. Neither promises were met. The British also violated the Treaty of Paris. The British maintained forts in the Northwest Territory and since the states had to rely on troops from the states, all the United States could do is protest. The British also placed trade restrictions on an already weak U.S. economy. European nations reasoned that since the indivual states were themselves embroiled in trade disputes, commercial agreements with the United States would certainly be questionable.

Federalists, those whom favored a more central government, pointed out the weakness of the AOC not having authority to tax the colonies. The federal government had to request funds from the states. The main idea of the AOC was to not put an intense amount of power within the federal government.The federal government only collected money contributed from the states. Delivering taxes to the federal government was optional, with this, most colonies did not. This increased problems the United States had with the overall economy. The war's debt came down to individuals, which mostly included small farmers. This led to Shay’s Rebellion an influence on American government. Along with a weak overall economy, there was lack of a uniform currency. Since there was no uniform currency, everyone used a different type of money. Inflation rates and trade rates increased dramatically. Thus having a direct impact on business transactions within and between states.

In conclusion, this is how the Articles of Confederation made for and inadequate form of government. The AOC created a weak central government leaving power in the hands of the states, it was unable to regulate foreign affairs and did not have a chief executive or state department who could, and the AOC's inability to to tax the colonies, establish a uniform currency, or regulate trade. With this came a weak and inapt government upon the colonies.