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Jefferson's Second Revolution: The Election Crisis of 1800 and the Triumph of Republicanism

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It is recognized that the standing of the common man, especially artisans and farmers, rose with the American Revolution, yet all through the 1780s, social elites were troubled by the unruly, irresponsible governance often practiced under the Articles of Confederation. It is they who engineered the formation of the reactionary US Constitution, which severely checked the power of majorities to easily and quickly influence government. The first government of the new United States was drawn heavily from the elite strata, who came to be known as the Federalists. They contended that the average American should not be concerned with governing - it was beyond their capability. As the author indicates, the election of 1800 was a transforming shift of power from the Federalists to Jefferson's and Madison's Republicans; in addition, it became quite evident that only through political parties could effective political opposition be orchestrated.

The Federalists actually did not regard themselves as a party, per se; they were simply the rightful governing element of society. Political parties were viewed as undesirable factions, though capable of being neutralized by the existence of many such factions. The creation of Democratic-Republican societies as a reaction to the Jay Treaty of 1794, which was viewed by many as a cave-in to the British, was highly troublesome to Washington, Hamilton, et al. Just who were these unruly, ignorant men who dared to challenge their wisdom and leadership? Many of these societies viewed the French Revolution with favor, which simply added fuel to the notion that they were out to undermine the US government. Out of these societies the Republican Party gradually emerged. When war with France over the harassment of American merchant shippers in 1798 became a real possibility, the Federalists passed the Alien and Sedition Acts to officially suppress criticism of the government, ignoring the passage of the First Amendment less than ten years prior.

As the election of 1800 approached and it became obvious that the Federalists were out, there was a great fear that a party that looked to average Americans would undermine the social stability of the US when taking power. Jefferson was subjected to incredible denunciation. Actually the leading Republicans were from the same social backgrounds as the Federalists. Despite the inflammatory rhetoric, the election of 1800 became perhaps the first peaceful transfer of power in a nation via elections that had ever occurred in world history. From that point, gaining political power in the US has been a continual contest involving the organizing impetus of political parties. The Republicans gained tremendous ascendancy over the first two decades of the 19th century, becoming one-party rulers. But that proved to be an unstable situation resulting in a split, becoming Jackson's Democrats and Clay's Whigs.

The book is a readily understandable account of the dichotomous political views of the 1790s and their resolution. The Federalists were unwilling to grasp the full significance of the American Revolution. Their elitist and idealist ideas could not prevail. The inchoate feelings of the populace were given coherence in the Republican Party; which became a force that reflected their views and numbers. Jefferson does not go unscathed by the author; he was capable of high-handedness. Yet his election did represent a profound political and social change for the US government and the American people - definitely a second revolution.

This book is well-researched and well-detailed, but I can't say I found it particularly fascinating - few of the details stuck with me. Nor can I say that the author's insights seemed particularly bold or original.

Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton and Burr - these are larger-than-life characters who shaped a nation. If you don't know much about them, you could do worse than reading this book. All in all, a decent work but not an outstanding one.