America Past and Present (6th ed.)
Irish/BHS
*If you are absent on the day of a class discussion, you may still earn participation points by answering the discussion questions
in written form. All questions must be answered completely. They are due the day you return to class.
Chapter 8: Discussion Questions____________________
1. What was the significance of the Jeffersonian “Revolution of 1800” (Election of 1800)? *Tie
back to the end of Chapter 7. Once in office, how did Jefferson carry out his political beliefs?
Be able to provide some specific examples of his changes/reforms while Jefferson was
president.
2. How did the conflict between Federalists and Republicans over the judiciary lead to a
balance of power among political interests and different branches of government?
(Marbury v. Madison (1803) and Fletcher v. Peck (1810)).
3. What were the political and economic consequences of the Louisiana Purchase? What did
Aaron Burr’s conspiracies reveal about the condition of American power west of the
Mississippi River?
4. What was the essential idea behind Jefferson’s imposition of the embargo, and why did it
finally fail?
5. Describe the major issues (causes) that eventually led the United States to declare war on
Great Britain in 1812. Was the declaration of war inevitable, a “mistake,” or the deliberate
policies of new American political forces?
6. What were the effects/consequences of the War of 1812?
7. How did the Battle of New Orleans and the Hartford Convention contribute to the demise of
the Federalist Party?