DRAWN AND QUARTERED

While George Washington had warned of the “mischiefs” of political parties, the quills were quickly drawn as each side sought to slash its opponent in the press. As President, Thomas ­Jefferson became a ­favorite target.

Following the purchase of the ­Louisiana Territory, Jefferson sought to acquire Florida, a move for which his opponents lampooned him as a scrawny prairie dog ­vomiting up millions in gold coins for the Spanish

Critics contended that both England’s George III and France’s Napoleon could easily pick Jefferson’s pocket

Rumors of ­Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemings and his known admiration for France—­symbolized by the rooster­—dogged his Administration

Some presented Jefferson as a radical bent on burning the Constitution, a despot whom God and the American eagle needed to stop

An English cartoon depicts Jefferson and James Madison doing Napoleon’s bidding during the embargo of 1807, even though their actions harmed America