CHAPTER LVII. THE REPUBLICANS AND ENGLAND. 1801-1809. 423. Inauguration. -The inauguration of Thomas Jefferson in 1801 as the third President of the United States was the result of the first political revolution. The Federalist party went out of Thomas Jefferson. (After an engraving by Baron Desnoyers, Paris.) party purposes," or had been appointed President Adams's administration. power, and the Republicans assumed the government. Mr. Jefferson kept strictly to the democratic principles of his party, and refused to allow any display or ceremony in taking the oath of office. This was in striking contrast with the brilliant inaugurations of his predecessors, and has not been followed by his successors. The change of party was shown also in the appointments to office and the removal of officeholders. Mr. Jefferson acted very moderately in this matter, and removed from office only those "who had used their official power for during the last days of 424. Parties. President Jefferson, instead of appearing before Congress, and addressing them, as Washington and Adams had done, sent in a written message. This custom has been followed by all his successors. In this message he announced what was to be the policy during his administration, and thus explained the principles of the Republican party. He proposed to strengthen the State governments, to restrict the Federal powers, and to limit the expenses of the Union to absolute necessities. Though a firm As a Thomas Jefferson was born April 2d, 1743. His father, Peter Jefferson, was descended from one of the earliest settlers of Virginia. Jefferson was sent to school at an early age, entered William and Mary College at the age of seventeen, and after graduation took up the study of the law. He was first chosen to the House of Burgesses in 1768, and, like many other Virginians, was re-elected year after year. delegate to the General Congress, he was made chairman of the committee which drew up the famous Declaration of Independence, which was almost entirely his own work. This gave him the title of the "Framer of the Declaration." During the Revolution he served as Governor of Virginia. In 1785 Jefferson was appointed to succeed Franklin as minister to France. Here, although he did not actively participate, his advice was naturally sought by Lafayette and other leaders of the early part of the French Revolution. After returning home, he was made Secretary of State by Washington, and later became Vice-President under Adams. believer in his party principles, he was very careful to act so as not to increase the apprehensions of the opposition, but rather to bring them, as far as possible, over into the Republican party. 425. Louisiana. One of the most important questions during this administration was that with regard to the Mississippi River. Spain owned the land on both sides of the mouth of the river and thus had the power to make the conditions under which the vessels of the United States might pass in or out. The Mississippi River, with its tributaries, was the great road for the traffic of nearly all the territory west of the Alleghanies. The Northwest Territory was developing rapidly; the population of the eastern portion had become sufficiently large to warrant the admission of Ohio, which became the seventeenth member of the Union, February 19th, 1803. It seemed more than ever necessary that the United States should have some control over the mouth of the river, or at least have free access to the Gulf of Mexico. In the year 1802 word had come to President Jefferson that France had secretly purchased from Spain the province of Louisiana. This immense tract of nearly nine hundred thousand square miles extended from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains, and from the Gulf of Mexico to the northern sources of the Mississippi and the Missouri. It was a portion of the Louisiana which France had been compelled to divide between England and Spain in the treaty of 1763 (¶ 160). 426. Louisiana Purchase. The territory had passed from the weak power of Spain into the hands of the powerful Napoleon, First Consul of France. The necessity of acquiring control of the mouth of the river was greater than ever. In October, 1802, the Spanish commandant, who still held possession of the province, issued an edict which closed New Orleans to American vessels. President Jefferson decided to buy, if possible, the island of New Orleans, which was formed by two branches of the river, as it flowed into the Gulf. The United States would thus obtain con trol of the Mississippi. In 1803 he sent James Monroe (T 445) to assist Robert R. Livingston, then minister to France, in making this purchase. Ohio, the "Buckeye State," was originally held by the French, who established a chain of forts throughout the Northwest. The opposing claims of the French and the English were settled, when the French were driven from the continent in 1763. Virginia and Connecticut laid claim to a portion of the Northwest Territory, but they yielded their claims to the United States, reserving certain lands, which were afterwards sold for the benefit of the treasury of those States. The State ranks fourth in population, having more than three and a half million inhabitants. The leading industry of Ohio has been agriculture, the most important products being cereals, fruits, and wool. In manufactures it holds a high place, especially in the production of agricultural machinery. France was at the time hard pressed by its coming struggle with England; and Napoleon, desirous of obtaining funds for the war, Stephen Decatur. (From a painting by T. Sully.) offered the whole province of Louisiana for fifteen million dollars. When he signed the treaty ceding the province to us, he said, "I have given to England a maritime rival that will sooner or later humble her pride." President Jefferson sent to the Senate the treaty of purchase. The Senate duly ratified it, and Congress made the necessary arrangements for the payment of the money called for. 427. Lewis and Clark. President Jefferson was far-seeing enough to realize the advantages that would accrue to the United States if her territory could extend to the Pacific Ocean. Even before the purchase of Louisiana he had begun preparations for an exploring |