Chapter 10.5 Election of 1800
• With John Adams
threatening American
civil liberties with the
Alien and Sedition Acts
– It’s time for another
election…
– Who is the public going
to pick this time?
Election of 1800
• Federalists
– John Adams
• 1st sitting president who
had to seriously campaign
to keep his job
– Charles Pinckney
• Picked because of success
from XYZ Affair
• Democratic –Republican
– Thomas Jefferson
• VP who really wants to be
POTUS
– Aaron Burr
• Popular politician within
Democratic –Republican
party
Election of 1800 Breakdown
• Thomas Jefferson
• Aaron Burr
• John Adams
-
73 electoral votes
73 electoral votes
65 electoral votes
• Problem:
– If there is a tie for 1st, who wins?
• Who becomes VPOTUS?
• It goes to the House of Representatives to pick from the
top 2 candidates!
In the case of a tie…House of
Representatives picks the new POTUS
• In the H of Reps
– Most of the majority political party is the Federalists:
• They refuse to vote for TJ
– They pick Burr just because they hate Thomas Jefferson
– The Democratic-Republican’s make up the rest
• They vote for Jefferson
• What happens?
– It’s a tie vote 30 straight times…
» Then, it gets weird….
Enter Alexander Hamilton
• Because he hated Aaron
Burr so much…
– He got the Federalists to not
vote at all
• That way Jefferson could win!
– Becomes 3rd POTUS
• Aaron Burr is furious
– He becomes VPOTUS
– Because of this….
» Aaron Burr and
Hamilton will be
lifelong enemies…
• Until one shoots
the other.
The U.S. Constitution gets a new
amendment
• 12th amendment
– Added in 1803
• Created 2 ballots for
presidential elections:
• 1 for POTUS
• 1 for VPOTUS
• That way there can never
be a tie again….we hope.
So what happens after the election of
1800…
• Thomas Jefferson is excited!!!
– Gets to become next POTUS
• John Adams is very disappointed he took 3rd.
– Goes home to Massachusetts to retire.
• Was happy that the power of the POTUS passed freely to
another political party
– Showed that our government was strong enough to endure.
• Aaron Burr and Alex Hamilton?
– It takes 4 years, but
• It’s time to duel it out…
According to historians… this is what
happened.
• http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wedjuly-14-2004/sarah-vowell
The Duel at Dawn…July 11, 1804
• Aaron Burr challenges
Hamilton to the duel
– They are to meet in New
Jersey
• Rules of duel:
– They will march off 10
paces
– They will turn and present
arms
– On command, they will
fire at each other
• If they both miss, you
repeat…
The Death of Alexander Hamilton
• Hamilton shoots the
tree next to Burr
• Burr shoots Hamilton in
the chest
– He dies the next day
• With his death and John
Adams retirement
– The Federalist party
ends.
The Life of Alexander Hamilton…in
poem.
• http://www.mrbach.net/documents/multime
dia_2.html
That’s it…we’re done.
• Study for your test!!!