election of 1800?

Question

can you please define the "election of 1800"

THX!!!

Answer 1

There is SO much about this election, you should have no trouble filling in the details. Lots of dramatic twists and ironies here.

Basically, there are TWO key facts about this election, which I will list, with some explanation, including the things *I* find most interesting (and often ironic) about this contest:

1) It was the FIRST peaceful transition of power -- that is the first time the young U.S. handed the Presidency from one political party to another (Federalist John Adams to Republican Thomas Jefferson), and it did so WITHOUT violence. Jefferson and his supporters considered his election a great triumph for the ideals of the American Revolution (which he thought the Federalists had been compromising) and labeled it "The Revolution of 1800".

Ironically the ONLY reason Jefferson had more electoral votes than Adams was the additional electors the South gained from its non-voting SLAVE population! (courtesy of the 3/5 compromise). (As a result of this Massachusetts Federalist Timothy Pickering, who was a strong advocate AGAINST slavery, nicknamed Jefferson "The ***** President"... a slight not against the slaves, but against Jefferson and his Southern supporters' claim of caring about the democratic rights of man, but able to elect their man only because of the NON-voting men they held as slaves.)

2) It was the only Presidential election in which there was a TIE in the Electoral College vote, as a result of which it was the first election that ended up being decided by vote of the House of Representatives (the other, ironically, involved Adams's son -- John Quincy Adams --in 1824).

The electoral tie was actually between Jefferson and Aaron Burr, the Republican "running mates", and happened largely because of a glitch (fixed soon after this election by the 12th Amendment). The Constitution had not foreseen candidates running by PARTY, nor of "running mates".

A further complication was that the OUTGOING House, dominated by Federalists, was to decide the election (each state getting ONE vote). And many Federalists voted for Burr, believing they would be better off with Burr than with Jefferson. (This was partly because NEW YORK Republicans, like Burr, had slightly different views from the Southern party of Jefferson**, and also because they thought Burr would have to regard himself as "owing them".)

Burr has, ever since, been attacked as plotting to take the Presidency... though the evidence for that is almost completely lacking. He took NO steps to gain Federalist votes, stayed away from Washington D.C., and REFUSED to give them the assurances they asked for IF they decided to vote for him. (Jefferson also refused to give personal assurances, BUT his intermediary did so! And yet Jefferson went on to accuse Burr!)

**This point is key -- Jefferson and his Southern supporters were concerned about Burr --probably NOT because he lacked principle (as Burr detractors suggested then, and ever since) but because he represented a POLITICAL threat to their power, and they wanted to keep control in SOUTHERN hands, esp those of Virginians. (Jefferson succeeded in this, continuing the "Virginia Dynasty" for an additional four terms in his friends James Madison and James Monroe.) Many historians to this day seem to accept every attack on Burr made by Jefferson and Hamilton (Hamilton as a New York Federalist ALSO found Burr a political threat, esp. after Burr outwitted him with a stellar slate of candidates for State Assembly races in 1800 -- the very thing that enabled the Republicans to win the state's electoral votes, and hence the Presidency... and part of what made Jefferson fear Burr's political power and talents).

Answer 2

ELECTION OF 1800
You are a moron.