CHAPTER 10 • SECTION 1
Meanwhile, the Federalists thought that the nation was about to be ruined
radicals—people who take extreme political positions. The Federalists
by radicals
remembered the violence of the French Revolution, in which radicals executed thousands in the name of liberty.
When election day came, the Democratic-Republicans won the presidency.
Jefferson received 73 votes in the electoral college, and Adams earned 65.
But there was a problem. Aaron Burr, whom the Democratic-Republicans
wanted as vice president, also received 73 votes.
Teacher-Tested Activities
Suzanne Hidalgo, Serrano Middle School
Highland, California
Breaking the Tie According to the Constitution, the House of Representatives had to choose between Burr and Jefferson. The Democratic-Republicans
clearly wanted Jefferson to be president. However, the new House of Representatives, dominated by Jefferson’s party, was not yet in office. Federalists
still had a House majority, and their votes would decide the winner.
The Federalists were divided. Some feared Jefferson so much that they
decided to back Burr. Others, such as Alexander Hamilton, considered Burr
an unreliable man and urged the election of Jefferson.
I give my students a pre-assessment of the
next section’s vocabulary terms. This allows
students to apply prior knowledge while
keeping them engaged.
• First, I give each student a small stack of
scrap paper.
• Next, I read a vocabulary term and allow
students to write or draw what they already
know about that term for one minute.
TECHNOLOGY of the TIME
• Then I have them hold up their papers,
showing a definition, illustration, or word
web containing related words and details.
Thomas Jefferson had a passion for invention and technology. He also
had classical tastes that are reflected in the look of our nation’s
capital and his plan of Monticello, his Virginia house (below left).
• Finally, I have students share their papers
with a partner while I monitor their
discussions.
(left) Jefferson developed this wheel cipher to send
and receive messages in secret code.
(right) Jefferson improved the design
of this early copy machine. As he wrote with
one pen, a second pen made an exact copy.
(below right) A reproduction of a sundial
designed by Jefferson is in place on the North
Terrace of Monticello. The equator is tilted at an
angle based on the location’s latitude, 38˚1’N.
TECHNOLOGY of the TIME
While serving as Minister to France 1784–
1789, Jefferson studied the farm plows he
saw in Europe. Combining his observations
with his own knowledge as a farmer in
Virginia, he designed a plow that would
meet the “least resistance.” Years later, he
reported that it was “so light that the two
small horses or mules draw it with less labor
than I have ever before seen necessary.”
Although he didn’t patent it, many used the
design in America, and the French Society
of Agriculture awarded him a medal and
special membership.
• Why was a design for a plow so important
at the time? (Many Americans were
farmers, so a better plow allowed more
land to be farmed or more time for other
tasks.)
CRITICAL THINKING ANSWERS
1. Make Generalizations His interests
were very broad and included nearly all
areas of life.
2. Connect to Today Possible Answers:
automatic watering devices, computers,
transportation advances including space
travel, communication media including
TV and Internet, medical advances, etc.
CRITICAL THINKING
1. Make Generalizations What do Jefferson’s inventions tell about him?
2.
Connect to Today
340 Chapter 10
INTERDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES
CONNECT
to Language Arts
CONNECT
to Math
Write a Speech for Jefferson
Code a Message from Jefferson
Ask students to imagine they are Hamilton’s
friend, James Bayard, who eventually persuades
some Federalists to vote for Jefferson instead
of Burr and break the tie in the House of
Representatives on the 36th vote. Have them
write a short speech supporting Jefferson.
Ask students to create a code for a message
that might have been delivered during the
Revolutionary War, or around the time of the
Declaration of Independence. Explain that
Jefferson’s wheel cipher allowed him to perform
these types of tasks quickly.
Video/DVD Extend the connection to
Language Arts. Show students the film Jefferson
& Adams Stage Play by Howard Ginsberg.
• Have each student write a sample sentence or
two, create a code along with a key, and then
write the sentence in code.
Unit 4 Resource Book
• Connect to Today, p. 95
340 • Chapter 10
What modern technology might appeal to Jefferson?
• Divide the class into pairs and have students
exchange sentences and try to crack the code.
Students can give each other hints.
CHAPTER 10 • SECTION 1
Hamilton did not like Jefferson, but he believed that Jefferson would
do more for the good of the nation than Burr. “If there be a man in the
world I ought to hate,” he said, “it is Jefferson. . . . But the public good
must be [more important than] every private consideration.”
From February 11 to February 17, the House voted 35 times without a
winner. Finally, Alexander Hamilton’s friend James A. Bayard persuaded
several Federalists not to vote for Burr. On the thirty-sixth ballot, Jefferson
was elected president. Aaron Burr became vice president.
People were overjoyed by Jefferson’s election. His many achievements
and talents went beyond politics. He was a skilled violinist, amateur
scientist, and devoted reader. His book collection later became the core
of the Library of Congress. In addition, Jefferson’s deep interest in the
architecture of ancient Greece and Rome is reflected in the architecture
of the nation’s capital.
SUMMARIZE Explain how the election of 1800 was resolved.
Jefferson and Democracy
KEY QUESTION How did Jefferson’s policies differ from those
of the Federalists?
Teach
Jefferson and Democracy
Roleplay Your Answer
• What problem did Jefferson face when he first
took office? (I faced political divisions and
wounds from election and House votes.)
Answer: The tie between
Thomas Jefferson
and Aaron Burr was
resolved by the House
of Representatives. The
House voted to elect
Jefferson president and
Burr vice president.
On inauguration day, no guards, no coach, not even a horse waited at
the door for Thomas Jefferson. He strolled through Washington, D.C.,
accompanied by a few friends. As Americans would learn in the months
to come, Jefferson’s humble behavior on inauguration day reflected his
ideas about government.
• What did Jefferson mean in his Inaugural
Address when he said, “We are all
Republicans, we are all Federalists”? (Possible
Answer: I believed Americans weren’t truly
separated by political parties, and that the
parties shouldn’t create deep divisions.)
• Main Ideas and Details How do you
think Jefferson’s behavior on inauguration
day reflected his ideas about government?
(Possible Answer: I showed frugality, belief
in limited power of central government,
association with country living, and belief in
social equality.)
Jefferson’s View of Government The new president’s first order of
business was to heal political wounds. He urged political enemies to unite
as Americans.
PRIMARY SOURCE
“
Let us, then, fellow-citizens, unite with one heart and one mind. . . .
Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. . . . We are
all Republicans, we are all Federalists.
More About . . .
”
—Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address
One way Jefferson sought to unify Americans was by promoting a
common way of life. He wanted the United States to remain a nation of
small independent farmers. Such a nation, he believed, would uphold the
strong morals and democratic ideals he associated with country living.
Jefferson also hoped that the enormous amount of land available in the
United States would prevent Americans from crowding into cities, as so
many people had in Europe.
Jefferson wanted to avoid having too much government. He believed
that the power of the central government should be limited, and that the
people should be enabled to govern themselves. Some of the changes he
made during his presidency reflect these beliefs.
Connecting History
Change & Continuity
Americans’ concerns
about overcrowding grew
during the first half of the
eighteenth century. You will
see this theme develop in
later chapters when you
study the emergence of
industry and the effects of
immigration.
The Jefferson Era 341
DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION
English Learners
Defining “Frugality in
Government”
Comprehension: Self-Monitor
• Then discuss how this might relate to
government and how it continues to be
an issue today. (government spending,
tax cuts, or tax increases)
Jefferson strongly opposed monarchy and
the belief that one person should be held
above another because of social rank. As
president, he refused to dress in a uniform
or special clothing and continued to wear
the same type of clothing he did as a planter
in Virginia. He shocked a British minister
one morning by receiving him in slippers.
When he entertained at dinners, he refused
to place people at tables according to how
rich or powerful they were and would not
choose a single guest of honor.
Unit 4 Resource Book
• America’s History Makers, pp. 89–90
Struggling Readers
Have students reread the last paragraph
on p. 341 and suggest a definition for
frugality.
• Discuss what it might mean in a
student’s personal life. (not spending
too much money, using functional
things)
Jefferson’s Belief in Personal
Equality
Have students check their comprehension
of “Jefferson’s View of Government”
by taking notes. Model taking notes by
reading the first paragraph aloud and
thinking aloud:
“These phrases are about bringing
peace between the political parties:
‘heal political wounds,’ ‘downplay the
differences,’ ‘urged the political enemies
to unite.’ My notes will be that Jefferson
wanted the political parties to stop
fighting and unite.”
Connecting History
Change & Continuity This issue is
still under debate today as legislators search
for ways to handle concerns about illegal
immigration.
Teacher’s Edition • 341