Question

act
during jefferson’s second term, relations
between the united states and europe became
increasingly tense. britain and france were at
war with one another. jefferson wanted to keep
the united states out of the conflict, but neither
nation respected u.s. neutrality. both britain
and france tried to prevent americans from
trading with their enemy. british and french
warships regularly seized american merchant
vessels. the british often forced american sailors
to serve in their navy. jefferson knew that britain
and france relied on the united states for cotton,
indigo, rice, timber, and other natural resources.
he thought that if he cut off trade, the two
european nations would miss u.s. resources so
much they would agree to let the merchant ships
travel freely. in 1807, jefferson asked congress to
pass an embargo act to forbid american ships from trading with europe.
american merchants became furious at jefferson. the embargo punished them instead of france
and britain. without this trade the american economy began to collapse. farmers, shipbuilders, and
sailors suffered, too. unemployment rose. incomes fell. jefferson’s policy had failed. faced with criticism
and hostility on all sides, jefferson decided not to seek a third term as president. voters elected james
madison as the fourth president of the united states. in march 1809, the non - intercourse act replaced
the embargo act, opening american ports to trade with all nations except great britain and france.
the political cartoon shows a merchant who is unable
to trade because of the turtle, which represents the
embargo of 1807.
chronological order
write the year in which each event occurred.

1. jefferson elected president ______
2. marbury v. madison ______
3. navy fleet sent to tripoli ______
4. battle versus barbary pirates ______
5. the louisiana purchase ______
6. the lewis & clark expedition ______
7. embargo act ______
8. jefferson leaves office ______

express your opinion
do you think jefferson strengthened the nation? what were his accomplishments?
what were his failures? use evidence to support your opinion.
© carole marsh/gallopade • www.gallopade.com • tennessee 8th grade
~this book is not reproducible.~

Explanation:

Chronological Order:

1. Jefferson was elected president in 1800 (inaugurated 1801, but the election year is 1800).
2. Marbury v. Madison was a landmark 1803 Supreme Court case.
3. The U.S. Navy fleet was sent to Tripoli in 1801 to start the First Barbary War.
4. Major battles against Barbary pirates took place from 1801-1805, with key conflict in 1804.
5. The Louisiana Purchase, a land deal with France, was finalized in 1803.
6. The Lewis & Clark Expedition began its journey west in 1804.
7. The Embargo Act was passed in 1807, as stated in the text.
8. Jefferson left office after his second term in 1809, when Madison was inaugurated.

Express Your Opinion:

Jefferson both strengthened and weakened the U.S. His key accomplishments include the Louisiana Purchase (1803), which doubled the nation's territory and secured control of the Mississippi River, and the Lewis & Clark Expedition (1804-1806), which mapped western lands and established U.S. claims to the region. He also maintained early U.S. neutrality in European conflicts initially. However, his failure was the 1807 Embargo Act, which devastated the U.S. economy (export revenue dropped from $108 million to $22 million by 1808) and caused widespread unemployment and anger among merchants, farmers, and sailors, failing to force Britain and France to respect U.S. neutrality. Overall, his territorial gains strengthened the nation long-term, but the Embargo Act was a major policy failure.

Answer:

Chronological Order:

1. Jefferson elected president: 1800
2. Marbury v. Madison: 1803
3. Navy fleet sent to Tripoli: 1801
4. Battle versus Barbary pirates: 1804
5. The Louisiana Purchase: 1803
6. The Lewis & Clark Expedition: 1804
7. Embargo Act: 1807
8. Jefferson leaves office: 1809

Express Your Opinion:

Yes, Jefferson strengthened the nation in key ways, though he also had significant failures.

• Accomplishments: The 1803 Louisiana Purchase doubled U.S. territory, secured access to the Mississippi River, and expanded economic opportunities. The 1804-1806 Lewis & Clark Expedition mapped western lands, documented new species, and helped establish U.S. claims to the Pacific Northwest. He also initially upheld U.S. neutrality in European wars to avoid early entanglement.
• Failures: The 1807 Embargo Act was a major failure. It was intended to force Britain and France to respect U.S. neutrality but instead collapsed the U.S. economy: export revenue fell from $108 million (1807) to $22 million (1808), causing mass unemployment and anger among merchants, farmers, and sailors. The policy did not change European behavior and was replaced in 1809.