Presidency of Thomas Jefferson

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Thomas Jefferson's tenure as the third president of the United States began on March 4, 1801, and ended on March 4, 1809. Jefferson assumed the office after defeating incumbent president John Adams in the 1800 presidential election. The election was a political realignment in which the Democratic-Republican Party swept the Federalist Party out of power, ushering in a generation of Jeffersonian dominance in American politics. After serving two terms, Jefferson was succeeded by Secretary of State James Madison, also of the Democratic-Republican Party. Jefferson took office determined to roll back the Federalist program of the 1790s. His administration reduced taxes, government spending, and the national debt, as well as repealed the Alien and Sedition Acts. He also signed the Military Peace Establishment Act, and adopted an assimilation policy toward Native Americans known as his "civilization program." In 1804, Jefferson appointed William Johnson to the Supreme Court—the first Jeffersonian...

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