Examkin

Question

Difficulty: HardJeffersonian Presidency and Territorial Expansion

Representative Roger Griswold, Federalist from Connecticut, speech in the House of Representatives, October 1803:

'The Constitution was formed for the then United States... It was not intended to authorize the President and Senate to annex new worlds to the Union... A modification of the Union, by the admission of new states in the South and West, will destroy the balance of power which existed among the original states.'

The arguments expressed in the excerpt most directly reflect which of the following political dynamics of the early 1800s?

  1. The willingness of political factions to adjust their constitutional interpretations based on regional and partisan interests.Answer
  2. B
    The effort by Democratic-Republicans to build a commercial economy based on northern manufacturing and merchant shipping.
  3. C
    The rulings of the Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Marshall that limited federal treaty-making power to protect state sovereignty.
  4. D
    The Federalist Party's alignment with French foreign policy to promote rapid agricultural expansion in the West.

Answer

The willingness of political factions to adjust their constitutional interpretations based on regional and partisan interests.
The correct answer is the option stating that political factions adjusted their constitutional interpretations based on regional and partisan interests. The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 forced a shift in the constitutional philosophies of both major parties. President Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican who championed strict construction of the Constitution, adopted a loose constructionist view by utilizing the executive treaty-making power to acquire the territory. Conversely, Federalists like Roger Griswold, who traditionally favored loose construction and a strong central government, argued for strict construction to oppose the purchase. They feared that the creation of new agricultural states in the South and West would permanently weaken the political influence of New England and the Federalist Party.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source text to identify the speaker's main arguments and political alignment.
The speaker, a northern Federalist, argues that the Constitution does not authorize the federal government to acquire new territory and warns that adding new states will shift the balance of power away from the original states.
This establishes that the debate is over constitutional power and regional representation.
2
Contextualize the source within the events of 1803.
The speech was delivered during the debate over the Louisiana Purchase, which Jefferson negotiated using a loose constructionist interpretation of the Constitution, despite normally advocating for strict construction.
This reveals the irony that both parties swapped their typical constitutional stances to serve their political interests.
3
Determine which option best reflects this constitutional pragmatism and regional focus.
The option stating that political factions adjusted their constitutional interpretations to promote regional and partisan interests is the correct match.
It explains the shifting stances of the Democratic-Republicans and Federalists over the Louisiana Purchase.

Key Concept

Constitutional debates and regional tensions arising from territorial expansion under the Jeffersonian presidency.
Rate this question

Topics

Jeffersonian Presidency and Territorial Expansion

More questions from this topic