Jefferson's Administration and the Louisiana Purchase
When Thomas Jefferson took office, his Democratic-Republican administration quickly made changes by repealing the whiskey tax and letting the Alien and Sedition Acts expire. Jefferson reduced government spending and cut the national debt nearly in half during his presidency, showing his fiscal restraint.
International conflicts shaped Jefferson's agenda, particularly with the Barbary States of North Africa. Instead of continuing payments for merchant ship protection, Jefferson sent the U.S. Navy to retaliate against Barbary pirates, eventually negotiating reduced tribute payments.
The Louisiana Purchase became Jefferson's most significant achievement. After the Haitian Revolution led to French defeat, Napoleon offered to sell the entire Louisiana Territory for $15 million. Though the Constitution had no provisions for buying land, Jefferson justified the purchase as a way to remove American Indians from the east, end European influence, and expand U.S. trade.
Quick Fact: The Corps of Discovery expedition, led by Lewis and Clark, included 45 men who traveled thousands of miles documenting the new territory. Sacagawea, the only permanent Native American member, provided crucial assistance along with her husband whom they met in the Rocky Mountains.
