Editing Thomas Jefferson (section)

===Controversies===

====Burr conspiracy and trial====
{{Further|Burr–Hamilton duel|Burr conspiracy}}
[[File:Vanderlyn Burr.jpg|thumb|An 1802 portrait of [[Aaron Burr]] by [[John Vanderlyn]]]]
Following the 1801 electoral deadlock, Jefferson's relationship with his vice president, [[Aaron Burr]], rapidly eroded. Jefferson suspected Burr of seeking the presidency for himself, while Burr was angered by Jefferson's refusal to appoint some of his supporters to federal office. Burr was dropped from the Democratic-Republican ticket in 1804 in favor of charismatic [[George Clinton (vice president)|George Clinton]].

The same year, Burr was soundly defeated in his bid to be elected [[Governor of New York|New York governor]]. During the campaign, [[Alexander Hamilton]] made publicly callous remarks regarding Burr's moral character.<ref name=Chernow04_p714>[[#Chernow04|Chernow, 2004]], p. 714.</ref> [[Burr–Hamilton duel|Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel]], held on July 11, 1804. In the duel, Burr mortally wounded Hamilton, who died the following day. Burr was subsequently indicted for Hamilton's murder, causing him to flee to [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], even though he remained president of the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] during Supreme Court Justice [[Samuel Chase]]'s [[Impeachment of Samuel Chase|impeachment trial]].<ref>[[#Wood2010|Wood, 2010]], pp. 385–386.</ref> Both indictments quietly died and Burr was not prosecuted.{{sfn|Banner|1974|p=34}} 

In August 1804, Burr contacted British Minister [[Anthony Merry]] offering to cede U.S. western territory in return for money and British ships.<ref name="The Burr Conspiracy 2000">[[#TBC 2000|The Burr Conspiracy (2000)]]</ref> After leaving office in April 1805, Burr traveled west and conspired with Louisiana Territory governor [[James Wilkinson]], beginning a large-scale recruitment for a military expedition.<ref name=Peterson_2002_p50>[[#Peterson2002|Peterson, 2002]], p. 50.</ref> Burr discussed seizing control of Mexico or Spanish Florida, or forming a secessionist state in New Orleans or the Western U.S.; historians remain unclear as to his true goal.<ref>[[#Wood2010|Wood, 2010]], pp. 385–386; [[#Meacham|Meacham, 2012]], pp. 420, 422.</ref>{{efn|Further complicating matters, Wilkinson was posthumously revealed to have been in the simultaneous pay of the British, French, and Spanish.<ref>[[#Bernstein03|Bernstein, 2003]], pp. 161–162.</ref>}} In the fall of 1806, Burr launched a military flotilla carrying about 60 men down the [[Ohio River]]. Wilkinson renounced the plot and reported Burr's expedition to Jefferson, who ordered Burr's arrest.<ref name=Peterson_2002_p50/><ref>[[#Meacham|Meacham, 2012]], p. 420.</ref>{{sfn|Banner|1974|p=37}} On February 13, 1807, Burr was captured in Louisiana and sent to Virginia to be tried for treason.<ref name="The Burr Conspiracy 2000"/>
Burr's 1807 conspiracy trial became a national issue.<ref>[[#Appleby|Appleby, 2003]], p. 100; [[#Bernstein03|Bernstein, 2003]], p. 162.</ref> Jefferson attempted to preemptively influence the verdict by telling Congress that Burr's guilt was "beyond question", but the case came before his longtime political foe, and distant cousin, [[John Marshall]], who dismissed the treason charge. Burr's legal team subpoenaed Jefferson, but Jefferson refused to testify, making the first argument for [[executive privilege]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=John Marshall, the Great Chief Justice |url=https://law.wm.edu/about/ourhistory/John%20Marshall,%20the%20Great%20Chief%20Justice.php |access-date=April 9, 2025 |website=William & Mary Law School |language=en}}</ref> Instead, Jefferson provided relevant legal documents.<ref>[[#Bernstein03|Bernstein, 2003]], pp. 163–164; [[#Meacham|Meacham, 2012]], pp. 422–423.</ref> After a three-month trial, the jury found Burr not guilty, while Jefferson denounced his acquittal.{{sfn|Banner|1974|p=37}}<ref>[[#Bernstein03|Bernstein, 2003]], p. 165.</ref>{{efn|Burr then left for Europe and eventually returned to practicing law.}}<ref>[[#Appleby|Appleby, 2003]], p. 101.</ref> Jefferson subsequently removed Wilkinson as territorial governor but retained him in the U.S. military. Historian James N. Banner criticized Jefferson for continuing to trust Wilkinson, a "faithless plotter".{{sfn|Banner|1974|p=37}}

====Wilkinson's misconduct====
Commanding General [[James Wilkinson]] was a holdover of the Washington and Adams administrations. In 1804, Wilkinson received 12,000 pesos from the Spanish for information on American boundary plans.{{sfn|Banner|1974|p=35}} Wilkinson also received advances on his salary and payments on claims submitted to Secretary of War [[Henry Dearborn]]. This damaging information apparently was unknown to Jefferson. In 1805, Jefferson trusted Wilkinson and appointed him Louisiana Territory governor, admiring Wilkinson's work ethic.

In January 1806, Jefferson received information from Kentucky U.S. Attorney Joseph Davies that Wilkinson was on the Spanish payroll. Jefferson took no action against Wilkinson, since there was not then significant evidence against him.{{sfn|Banner|1974|pp=35–36}} An investigation by the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] in December 1807 exonerated Wilkinson.{{sfn|Banner|1974|p=36}} In 1808, a military court looked into the allegations against Wilkinson but also found a lack of evidence. Jefferson retained Wilkinson in the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]].{{sfn|Banner|1974|pp=36–37}} Evidence found in Spanish archives in the 20th century proved Wilkinson was on the Spanish payroll.{{sfn|Banner|1974|p=35}}