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Essay On The Embargo Act Of 1977 Dbq

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Before the election of 1800, Jeffersonian Republicans steadily advocated strict construction of the Constitution, which meant that they believed that the power of the government was restricted to what was clearly stated in the Constitution. On the other hand, Federalists promoted a lose construction. This meant that the Constitution could be interpreted, based on the implied powers, by the government. However, between 1801 and 1817, the two parties frequently switched their views in order to justify executive decisions. The presidencies of Jefferson and Madison clearly exemplified how inaccurate the characterization of the Jeffersonian Republican and the Federalist parties was between 1801 and 1817. When Jefferson was elected in 1800, he proudly acclaimed his dedication …show more content…

Alexander Anderson created a cartoon in 1808 that depicts the unaccepted Embargo Act that Jefferson put into effect. (Doc C.) However, in passing the Embargo Act of 1807, Jefferson went against his original Republican beliefs. The embargo barred U.S ships from using European ports, during the Napoleonic Wars, which ultimately negatively affected the U.S more than anyone else. Through this act, Jefferson denies the states their constitutionally-given rights, those which he whole-heartedly advocated for in the beginning of his presidency. Also, Jefferson completely ignored his original views when confronted with the purchase of the Louisiana Territory. The Louisiana Territory was a large mass of land acquired from France in 1803. Napoleon wanted to sell the land due to the fact that he no longer saw the possibility of a French Empire in North America, so he planned on selling it to the United States. Jefferson completely agreed to the purchase. However, many saw this as unconstitutional as the Constitution does not explicitly allow the government to purchase foreign

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