Big Picture part 3

By Bookclub
  • Period: to

    Low point of Adams' presidency - Alien and Sedition Acts

    Alien and Sedition Acts unified the Republican party while unchecked warfare between Adams/H's camps of Federalist party eroding its strength
    Republicans sat back and let the Federalist blow themselves up
  • Period: to

    French Revolution

    Napoleon grabbed power in a coup
    start date is June 14, 1789
  • Period: to

    Quasi war with France - Additional army, passed a bill to raise an army

  • Yellow fever strikes Philly again - Fenno and Bache (Franklin's grandson) die

    Interestingly, Bache is the publisher of the Aurora - Jefferson's newspaper vehicle attacking H
  • Period: to

    Yellow fever epidemic - this one in NYC

  • Kentucky resolution passed - declaring Acts unconstitutional

    state rights undermining the constitution

  • French realize their blunder in XYZ and want peace

  • VA resolution passed - declaring Acts unconstitutioal

    state rights undermining constitution
    GW appalled

  • NY voted to gradually abolish slavery (68-23)

  • Adams nominates Vans Murray to minister to France

    history proves enlightened nature of Adams decision, but done without conferring with cabinet
    H doesn't like Vans Murray and prevails on Adams 2 envoys accompany Murray

  • Burr's scheme to create a water company (due to yellow fever)

    H helps plead the water company case

  • Adams sends troop to put down Frie's Rebellion - Eastern PA property tax protest (to finance "quasi" war)

    property tax rebellion
    protesting the taxes to fund the "quasi" war with France

  • NY legistator approves Manhattan Company - Burr's scheme for a bank

  • Voters saw the fraud and shunned Burr's Asembly seat campaign

    H realized Burr deceived him and was livid
    Manhattan Company project so self-serving it temporarily halted Burr's political career - lost him the public praise

  • Manhattan Company drops pretense it's a water company - opens with fanfare

    An office of "discount and deposit" on Wall Street

  • Burr and Church duel

    over language Church used about Burr (used the word bribery)
    Burr's payments weren't bribes they were unpaid loans
    rowed across the Hudson to the field of honor
    mood not homicidal on either part (2 directors of Manhattan Company during opening gala)
    Church apologizes for comments after the first shot hits Burr's button
  • Period: to

    Adams sends envoy to France to negotiate peace treaty

    peace mission to France - supreme triumph of Adams presidency
    testifies to political agility and wisdom

  • H and Adams square off in Trenton over France

    ends their relationship
    loss of perspective
    two vain ambitious men brought out the worst in each other

  • GW dies - last letter to H applauds the outline for the military academy

  • H et al (but not Jefferson) march in somber procession

  • Congress halts enlistments for the new army - H's ambitions ran out

  • America learns about Napoleon - First Consul by eliminating "The Directory" in Novemeber and

    Napoleon's coup marked the end of the revolution

  • NY local elections known to be factor in presidential election

    Adams strong in north, Jefferson strong in south NY would be pivotal with 12 electoral votes
    NY elections would tip the balance...how NYC went so would go the nation

  • Republicans win NYC - opening door for Jefferson presidency

    H shaken by the defeat - May 4 Federalist caucus "melancholy of despair

  • Adams purges his cabinet of H loyalists to court Republican votes

    Adams considers them his enemies
    Adams resentment of H excessive and H wants to drive the country into war with France and form a union with Great Britian
    part of Adams' wrathful temper tantrums

  • Adams pardons Fries and the chief instigators convicted of treason

    H was dismayed by the pardons
    Adams worried about H's militaristic tendencies and restless behavior

  • Election close - shift reshaping politics called Revolution of 1800

    H of R shifts to 65 Republican/41 Federalists
    people voted against unpopular Federalist activities: Jay Treaty, policies with France, the army and the taxes that came with it, Alien and Sedition Acts
    Jefferson called the revolution in the principles of our government
    Jefferson more moderate than H would admit

  • Burr would not seek the presidency, but would not reject it if HofR selected him

  • Electorial votes opened in Senate - Jefferson and Burr 73 each

    Adams 65
    Pinckney 65

  • Judiciary Act - passed right before Adams leaves office

    new courts and 23 new judgeships to spare Supreme Court riding the circuit
    Adams rushed through appointments for judges offending the Republicans who thought new president should do it

  • Jefferson inaugurated - Adams did not attend

    Jefferson kept his commitment:
    honored the funding system, national debt, Jay Treaty
    Jefferson discovered merits in H's national bank
    However scuttled the navy which was needed during war of 1812
    Allowed Alien & Sedition Acts to lapse

  • Clinton back as governor NY (after a break) ran against H's brother in law

    Stephen Van Rensselaer was Peggy's (Eliza sister) husband
    Peggy died during the campaign March 01, 1801
    Burr behind the scenes meddling on behalf of Clinton
  • Period: to

    Gutter journalism - the pamphlet wars

    mud slung everywhere by everyone
    verbal abuse and duels fashionable to settle political quarrels

  • Republicans repeal Judiciary Act

  • Calendar broke the story of Jefferson and Sally Hemings

  • Croswell indicted for seditious libel against Jefferson (president)

    H took on Croswell's defense

  • Louisiana Purchase

    every state entering the union between 1803 - 1845 as a result of the purchase was a slave state

  • H joins Croswell's defense team

    did so because case touched on 2 momentous constitutional issues
    1-freedom of the press
    2-trial by jury
    prior to this the libel only had to prove the statement was defamatory, NOT that is was false

  • Calendar found dead-drown in 3 ft of water in the James river

  • Croswell found guilty due to jury instructions

    jury only had to determine if Croswell published the comments, not that they were true

  • Election approaches - Burr knows Jefferson will drop him

    Burr knows his political salvation is in NY and would exchange places with Clinton and run for governor to run against Clinton's nephew and H

  • Croswell appeals - H makes 6 hour stmt - tie vote conviction stands

    Supreme Court hear the appeal for new trial - conviction stood but Croswell never sentenced
    H's statement had 3 key points

  • Burr nominated for governor by Republicans (disaffected Republicans)

    H despondent felt Burr had slandered him, but it was really Van Cortlandt who had clerked for H in 1780s

  • Burr lost the race - narrowly won in NYC, outvoted heavily upstate

    a blow to Burr's political career
    fake bravado to his daughter
    but a murderous rage against H brewed...H a curse, author of his misery and a hypocrite

  • Burr receives a copy of a letter recounting H's comments at dinner

    flew into a rage
    still smarting from his defeat the letter was war
    H was fair game--famous name without power
    duel with H would redeem Burr's honor and possibly dishonor H
    Duel was less about slurs and personal insults and more about politics and party leadership

  • H and Burr duel

  • H dies

  • NY legislature passes new libel law

  • Croswell gets his new trial and triumphs - H didn't get to see it