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

by Susan Dunn (Author) "MURDER, ROBBERY, rape, adultery, and incest will all be openly taught and practiced, predicted the Connecticut Courant in the fall of 1800..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, United States, John Adams (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In her take on the election of 1800, historian Dunn (co-author with James MacGregor Burns of The Three Roosevelts, etc.) also offers a dramatic account of the nation's struggle to establish political legitimacy, but with a sharper emphasis on the triumph of Jefferson and his populist ideals. As the 19th century dawned, Dunn explains, the war for independence may have been over, but the true outcome of the American Revolution was still very much in doubt. The choices in 1800 election could not have been starker: Federalist Adams championed the need for a strong central government that would forge an image of honor and national unity. The Republican Jefferson prized the rights of individuals to criticize their government and viewed the Federalist vision as a dangerous slide into monarchy and a reversal of the Revolution's ideals. Like Ferling, Dunn does a superb job of recounting the campaign, its cast of characters, and the election's bizarre conclusion in Congress. That tense standoff could have plunged the country into a disastrous armed conflict, Dunn explains, but instead cemented the legitimacy of peaceful, if not smooth, transfers of power. What sets Dunn's effort apart, however, is her earnest portrait of Jefferson, and his ideals. While careful to acknowledge his "blind spots" and internal conflicts, Dunn eloquently illustrates that it was Jefferson's faith in the ideals of the Revolution that galvanized in our nation "the legacy of a political culture energized by the creative conflict of opposing parties." 12 b&w photos.
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From Booklist
Some of our partisan pundits claim the next presidential election will be the most important since the Civil War, while others bemoan the "unprecedented" decline of civility in our political dialogue. Dunn, a scholar of eighteenth-century American history, has provided a valuable reminder of an election in which the stakes were truly enormous and the political vituperation was far more poisonous than the relatively moderate attacks heard today. The Federalists, led by incumbent president John Adams and Alexander Hamilton, were committed to a strong central government and the promotion of manufacturing, and they were suspicious of unrestrained democracy. The Democratic-Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson, favored states' rights, agrarian interests, and a more open democratic political system. Dunn writes beautifully, and she captures the drama of events and the intensity of emotions on both sides while offering well-drawn portraits of the key players, although she probably oversimplifies the differences in the parties. Nevertheless, this is an excellent work that effectively explains this critical contest that shaped the history of the new republic. Jay Freeman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1ST edition (September 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618131647
• ISBN-13: 978-0618131648
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,043,499 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Elitism finally overturned, October 1, 2007

By	One Man's View (Lawrenceville, GA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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.

5 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Founding Fathers, October 13, 2004

By	David Cohen "davenjnews" (New Jersey, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.