HAMILTON VS BURR

1. HAMILTON VS BURR • Angered by an insulting remark attributed to Hamilton, • Burr challenged the Federalist leader to a duel and fatally shot him • Hamilton’s death in 1804 deprived the Federalists of their last great leader and earned Burr the enmity of many embargo1

2. BURR CONSPIRACY • Secretly forming a political pact with some radical New England Federalists. • Burr planned to win the governorship of New York in 1804. • Unite that state with the New England states, and then lead this group of states to secede from the nation • Most Federalists followed Alexander Hamilton in opposing Burr, who was defeated in the New York election • The conspiracy then disintegrated embargo1

3. BURR COMMITS TREASON • In 1806, Burr planned to take Mexico from Spain and possibly unite it with Louisiana under his rule • Jefferson learned of the conspiracy and ordered Burr’s arrest and trial for treason • A jury acquitted Burr, basing its decision on Marshall’s narrow definition of treason and the lack of witnesses to any “overt act” by Burr

4. EMBARGO ACT embargo1

5. FRANCE VS. GREAT BRITAIN Berlin Decree (1806), Milan Decree (1807):These decrees issued by Napoleon dealt with shipping and led to the War of 1812. The Berlin Decree initiated the Continental System, which closed European ports to ships which had docked in Britain. The Milan Decree authorized French ships to seize neutral shipping vessels trying to trade at British ports.  Orders-in-councilBritish laws which led to the War of 1812. Orders-in-council passed in 1807 permitted the impressment of sailors and forbade neutral ships from visiting ports from which Britain was excluded unless they first went to Britain and traded for British goods. 

6. impressment IMPRESSMENT ImpressmentAn act of kidnapping a ship, its contents, men and forcing them into your navy • 1806: England closed ports under French control to foreign shipping (incl. US), seized US ships & impressed Americans. • Napoleon ordered seizure of all merchant ships that entered British ports.

7. Chesapeake affair C H E S A P E A K E A F F A I R • 1806, Chesapeake was a US merchant ship 10 miles off the coast of Virginia. A British ship in the region ordered it to stop. • British fired 3 shots at the Chesapeake before it surrendered • 3 Americans were killed, 18 wounded and 4 sailors impressed

8. Chesapeake article C H E S A P E A K E A F F A I R Regarding the Chesapeake Affair, the Washington Federalist reported, “We have never, on any occasion, witnessed the spirit of the people excited to so great a degree of indignation, or such a thirst for revenge, as on hearing of the late unexampled outrage on the Chesapeake. All parties, ranks and professions were unanimous in their detestation of the dastardly deed, and all cried aloud for vengeance.” Most Americans were angered over this incident and public opinion was to go to war with the British.

9. EMBARGO ACT • Jefferson’s response to the Chesapeake Affair was the Embargo Act of 1807…. • Short of war, Jefferson attempted to defend our neutrality by stopping all American exports to the world. embargo1

10. EMBARGO ACT • Reasoning: Since England and France were at war with one another and traded for most of their natural resources with U.S., if we cut off our exports to them it would force them to respect our neutrality….THIS IS CALLED ECONOMIC COERCION. • It would have the reverse effect…… • The Embargo Act not only hurt France and Britain but it also hurt U.S. trade which was our economic survival as a nation. As a result, many Americans defied the law and began to smuggle goods from these countries as well as others. • Hurt American businesses • New Englander’s shift from trade to industry • U.S. smuggled • New England talked of secession….. • Lasted 15 months, repealed in March of 1809 embargo2

11. embargo2 EMBARGO ACT • American people were hostile towards Jefferson • Referred to the Embargo as “Dambargo, Mobrage, Go Bar Em”…. • Would be replaced by the Non-Intercourse Act by President Madison which allowed U.S. exports and trade but not with France and Great Britain…… A Federalist circular in Massachusetts against the embargo cried out, “Let every man who holds the name of America dear to him , stretch forth his hands and put this accursed thing, this Embargo from him. Be resolute, act like sons of liberty, of God, and your country; nerve your arms with vengeance against the Despot (Jefferson) who would wrest the inestimable germ of your Independence from you---and you shall be Conquerors!!!” “Our ships all in motion,Once whiten’d the ocean;They sail’d and return’d with a Cargo;Now doom’d to decayThey are fallen a prey,To Jefferson, worms and EMBARGO.”