The 1800 Presidential Election: John Adams v. Thomas Jefferson

Overview

It was the worst election EVER! And it was decided, mostly, by a Delawarean

Presenter: Lew Miller

The Election of 1800 was the first peaceful transfer of power between two adversarial administrations in our history, but just barely. It involves several familiar names: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and Aaron Burr. Because they were emergent politicians at the time, some definitely better than others, you may see them in a different light than in their revolutionary days. The election involved several issues we still debate today: states’ rights versus a strong central government, the national debt, national defense, and religion in politics. The decision as to who would be sworn in as president in 1801 came down to James A. Bayard, Delaware’s sole member in the House of Representatives, a statesman who should be more than a footnote in history.