The Election of 1800

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The Election of 1800

• The Age of Jefferson Begins

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Consider how fragile is the New Republic.

• 1790 Controversy over location of new capitol
• Alexander Hamiltons Financial Plan
• 1793 Citizen Genets threat to neutrality
• 1795 Whiskey rebellion and called out militia
• 1795 Jays treaty

• 1796 Washingtons retirement
• 1797-98 XYZ Affair and Quasi War with France
• 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts
• Virginia and Kentucky Resolves
• Finally the Election of 1800

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Political Parties

• Election of 1800
• See handout on political parties

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The Nasty Election

• Jefferson Camp said of Adams
• a "hideous ______character, which has neither the
  force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness
  and sensibility of a woman."
• A vote for Jefferson was vote for " no God."

• Adams camp called Jefferson
• "a mean-spirited, low-lived fellow, the son of a
  half-breed Indian squaw, sired by a Virginia
  mulatto father."
• A vote for Adams was a vote for "God- and a
  Religious President"

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Political Cartoons
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Question?

• The election of 1796 was no big deal when the
  Federalist Adams is elected to follow the
  Federalist Washington.
• But the election of 1800 when Jefferson followed
  Adams may have been the most important election
  that would occur from 1789-1856.
• Why? What is so important about 1800?

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(No Transcript)
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What trend do you notice in these election
results 1788-1806?
Election year Election year Election year Election year Election year Election year Election year Election year Election year Election year
House 1788 1790 1792 1794 1796 1798 1800 1802 1804 1806
Federalist 37 39 51 47 57 60 38 39 25 24
Democratic-Republican 28 30 54 59 49 46 65 103 116 118
Republican 43 43 51 56 46 43 63 73 82 83
Senate
Federalist 18 16 16 21 22 22 15 9 7 6
Democratic-Republican 8 13 14 11 10 10 17 25 17 28
Democratic-Republican 31 45 47 34 31 31 53 74 71 82
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Election Results 1800 What do you notice?
Presidential Candidate Party Home State Popular Vote(a), (b), (c) Popular Vote(a), (b), (c) Electoral Vote
Presidential Candidate Party Home State Count Percentage Electoral Vote
Thomas Jefferson Democratic-Republican Virginia 41,330 61.4 73
Aaron Burr Democratic-Republican New York 73
John Adams Federalist Massachusetts 25,952 38.6 65
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney Federalist South Carolina 64
John Jay Federalist New York 1
Total Total Total 67,282 100.0 276
Needed to win Needed to win Needed to win Needed to win Needed to win 70
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Importance of the Election

• 1st election were power is transferred from one
  political party to another, peacefully.

• Ushers in 28 years of Republican rule and leads
  to demise of Federalists party.
• Slavery makes a difference for the winner 3/5ths
  clause
• Leads to Constitutional Amendment

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Resolution and Change

• Jefferson in a tie with his VP, Burr.
• House decides
• Federalists are loathed to vote for Jefferson and
  support Burr
• Over course of 7 days, 35 ballots cast and no one
  gets the 9 votes needed.

• 36th vote, Jefferson gets the votes needed and is
  declared President.
• Hamilton thought him the lesser of two evils
• 12th Amendment ratified in 1804. It is clearly
  listed who is the presidential Candidate and who
  the Vice-President. Electors cast separate
  ballots for each office.