1. The Election of 1800
Ballots Over Bullets

2. 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?

3. The Campaign Federalists Democratic –Republican 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

4. The Campaign Vote Jefferson
Support states’ rights! Vote for a “frugal & simple” government!
Vote Adams!!
A vote for Adams is a vote for peace and prosperity!
VS.
Aaron Burr (NY) was selected to run as V.P.
Charles Pinckney (SC) was selected to run as V.P.

5. The Campaign
Democratic-Republican newspapers called Adams a tyrant and even accused him of wanting to turn the nation into a monarchy so his kids could follow him on the presidential throne!
Federalist newspapers called Jefferson a “howling atheist” and charged he would “destroy religion, introduce immorality…”
Some frightened elderly Feds buried their Bibles to keep them from “godless” DR’s.

7. Election of 1800 Breakdown Thomas Jefferson - 73 electoral votes
Aaron Burr electoral votes
John Adams electoral votes
Jefferson and Burr tie now what?
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!

8. 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 35 straight times…
Then, it gets weird….

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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…

12. 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…

13. 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.