Ch 5: The Virginia Dynasty
About This Chapter
The Virginia Dynasty - Chapter Summary and Learning Objectives
The economic and territorial gains made under the country's first five presidents are the subject of this chapter's video lessons. Instructors outline the evolution of American foreign policy and the expansion of the Supreme Court. They can also help you explore the debate sparked by the acquisition of territory in the Louisiana Purchase. This chapter is designed to teach you the following:
- Accomplishments of Jefferson's presidency
- Events surrounding the War of 1812
- Territorial acquisitions under Monroe
- Causes of 19th century economic expansion
- Outcomes of the education reform movement
Video | Objectives |
---|---|
President Jefferson's Election and Jeffersonian Democracy | Outlines deciding factors in the presidential election of 1800. Shows how the results shifted power from the Federalist Party to the Democratic-Republican Party. |
Thomas Jefferson's Presidency: Louisiana Purchase, Lewis & Clark, and More | Discusses significant accomplishments during Jefferson's presidency, including the Louisiana Purchase, the creation of the Corps of Discovery, and the outlawing of the Atlantic slave trade. |
Barbary Pirates, Napoleonic Wars, and Embargo of 1807 | Explains American involvement in the First Barbary War and the impact of economic measures taken to maintain neutrality in the conflict between Britain and France. |
President Madison and the War of 1812 | Describes conflicts between Native Americans and settlers pushing west. Shows how British support of Tecumseh, among other factors, led America to war. Outlines the resulting battles, conditions of the Treaty of Ghent, and the end of the Federalist Party. |
James Madison After the War of 1812: The Era of Good Feelings | Depicts the final defeat of the Barbary pirates, president Madison's economic reforms, and the displacement of Native American tribes in the Midwest. |
James Monroe's Presidency: The Monroe Doctrine | Lists treaties giving America joint control over the Oregon Territory and ownership of Florida. Explains the Missouri Compromise and the foreign policy known as the Monroe Doctrine. |
John Marshall's Supreme Court During the Virginia Dynasty | Outlines Marshall's role in expanding the judiciary's power. Summarizes decisions in landmark court cases, including Marbury v. Madison, Fletcher v. Peck, and McCulloch v. Maryland. |
Economic Expansion in the 1800s: Slavery, Immigration, & Corporations | Analyzes the population growth and demographic shifts that resulted from transportation innovations, farming revolutions, and a growing market economy. |
American Industrialization: Factory System and Market Revolution | Shows how inventions like the cotton gin, steel plow, and mechanical reaper spurred mass production. |
Education in Early America: Birth of Public Schools and Universities | Provides an overview of America's early education system and describes the changes brought about by the education reform movement, such as standardized public school systems, the development of an American literary tradition, and the creation of coeducational and land-grant institutions. |
Henry Clay and the Missouri Compromise of 1820 | Reviews why the inclusion of new states into the Union threatened to tip the balance between the number of free and slave states. Explains how the Missouri Compromise was expected to resolve this problem. |

1. President Jefferson's Election and Jeffersonian Democracy
The presidential election of 1800 was a rematch between President John Adams and Vice President Thomas Jefferson. An electoral tie between Jefferson and his running mate forced the House of Representatives to decide. The election inaugurated 24 years of political dominance for the Democratic-Republican Party.

2. Thomas Jefferson's Presidency: Louisiana Purchase, Lewis & Clark, and More
Thomas Jefferson is often noted as one of the best presidents in history. In our lesson, learn about some of President Jefferson's many famous domestic accomplishments and the controversy surrounding most of them.

3. Barbary Pirates, Napoleonic Wars and Embargo of 1807
Throughout President Jefferson's two terms in office, his foreign policy revolved around war in Europe. Despite his attempts to remain neutral, American ships were drawn into conflict that demanded the president's response.

4. President Madison and the War of 1812
Though often overlooked in the annals of American history, the War of 1812 was really a landmark event for a young nation finding its footing amidst a global power struggle. Watch our lesson to follow President James Madison and the War of 1812 into the inky shadows of history.

5. James Madison After the War of 1812: The Era of Good Feelings
What do African pirates, American highways and British forts all have in common? President Madison paid attention to all of them in the 'Era of Good Feelings.'

6. James Monroe's Presidency: The Monroe Doctrine
Can you imagine a time when there was only one political party in the United States? Find out why James Monroe was one of the nation's most popular presidents during his lifetime and learn about his foreign policy that endured for nearly a century.

7. John Marshall's Supreme Court During the Virginia Dynasty
Think old Supreme Court cases don't relate to your life today? Under the leadership of Chief Justice John Marshall, the Supreme Court made many landmark decisions that shaped the American judicial system - including the rights of citizens - and affect the most important cases in the country to this day.

8. Economic Expansion in the 1800s: Slavery, Immigration & Corporations
Find out how and why America's population grew tremendously in the first part of the 1800s. Then, learn how America became a market economy and added new transportation routes.

9. American Industrialization: Factory System and Market Revolution
New agricultural technology revolutionized the North, South and West. In this lesson, learn how that technology ushered in the Market Revolution in America.

10. Education in Early America: Birth of Public Schools and Universities
During the early and mid-1800s, education reformers pushed to establish free public schools throughout the U.S. Their efforts also led to the establishment of American universities and the first generation of American writers.

11. Henry Clay and the Missouri Compromise of 1820
In 1819, Missouri applied for statehood, threatening to tip the balance of senatorial power in favor of the slave states. Find out how Henry Clay resolved the matter for the next 30 years.
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Other Chapters
Other chapters within the US History: Middle School course
- First Contacts in the Americas
- Settling North America & the Colonies
- The Revolutionary War
- The Making of a Nation after the American Revolution
- Jacksonian Democracy
- Everyday Life in Antebellum America
- Manifest Destiny & American Expansion
- Buildup to the American Civil War
- The American Civil War
- After the Civil War: Reconstruction
- American Industrialization of the Late 19th Century
- The Progressive Era of the Early 20th Century
- American Imperialism & World War I
- 1920s America
- America and the Great Depression
- America and the Second World War
- Post-War and the Cold War
- Civil Rights Movements in America
- America in the 1970s
- America in the 1980s
- America from 1992 to the Present