Election Of 1800

The Election of 1800 was the greatest change of political power without fighting or war. The Election included 5 candidates, Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr, John Adams, C.C. Pinckney, and John Jay. The power of the Federalists was transferred to the Republican party. There were many important events that happened around the time of the election including the The Alien and Sedition Acts and the “midnight judges” controversy. In the end Thomas Jefferson was elected president and John Adams was out of office.

Before the Election started John Adams was president. During his presidency the U.S. was in a war with France. Adams did a lot of things to make the Federalist government stronger, he raised taxes and increased the size of the army and navy. Adams also passed something that would lead to his downfall as president: The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798. Under these acts the U.S. population was prohibited to negatively criticize the government and the way it was run under John Adams. It also increased the time living in the U.S. needed to become a citizen for an alien and it gave the government rights to send aliens back to their country. Thomas Jefferson, as a Republican and a enemy to Adams tried to oppose those acts by the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions. These tried to give the states the right to criticize the government. The feud between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson led to many arguments and even physical altercations in Congress. All of this led to more anticipation of the upcoming election where Adams and Jefferson would face off.

In the late months of 1800 the election took place. The leading candidates were John Adams (running for his second term), Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr, C.C. Pinckney, and John Jay. They were all well qualified but Adams, Jefferson, and Burr were the favored candidates.

John Adams was the second president, running for his second term in 1800. Adams graduated from Harvard, added ideas on the Declaration of Independence, was a minister to France and George Washington’s vice president. Adam’s presidency was nothing but tension. From the XYZ Affair, The Alien and Sedition Acts, his hiring of Supreme Court members, and his tensions with Hamilton and Jefferson, Adam’s presidency wasn’t a good one.

Thomas Jefferson graduated from William and Mary, he served in Virginia congress, and was a big part of First and Second Continental Congress’. Jefferson’s most important and popular achievement on his resume is being the author of the Declaration of Independence. He was of the new party called the Democratic-Republicans, refereed to as Jeffersonian Republicans because of him, the party running against the Federalists.

Aaron Burr graduated from Princeton, he was attorney general for a while and spent almost seven years in the United States Senate. He was a general in the Continental Army and a well known leader. Burr was a Republican and a strong candidate in the 1800 election.

John Jay had a very good resume also, he was secretary of foreign affairs, a writer in The Federalist, a delegate in the New York Convention, the First Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and creator of the Jay’s Treaty. He was liked by many but hated by many. Jay’s Treaty was opposed by many Americans.

C.C. Pinckney served in Congress and was involved in the XYZ Affair. Pinckney started the phrase in the U.S., “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!”, the cry against the French. He was a federalist and a candidate in one of the most important elections ever.

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were the two most popular candidates. Jefferson was trying to change the government’s political party peacefully. Jefferson wanted an end to Federalists and a new beginning to the Republicans. The Federalists and Republicans were very nasty towards each other. The only reason historians call the Election “peaceful” is because there was no war. The debates and speeches were very harsh towards the opposing parties. Even physical altercations happened in Congress between sides.

The main attack towards Jefferson, from the Federalists was, that he was ruining the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson was accused of being a tyrant and doing thing the way he wanted, not how the Constitution entails. Federalists believed the U.S. would fall apart from Jefferson’s ideas. Jefferson was against war and more laid back about everything.