1800
Alexander Hamilton (Fed.): 75 EV, 54.9% EV
President Thomas Jefferson (Rep.- incumbent): 63 EV, 45.1% EV
The four years since Jefferson was elected, the U.S. had gone to war against Tripoli with its brand new U.S. Navy, the XYZ Affair with France, the Quasi War with France, and Napoleon seizing power in France. Republican President Jefferson wasn’t filling up the boots of the late George Washington, and many considered him and inadequate choice.
The Federalists nominated former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton of New York to be president and John Marshall to be vice-president. Marshall and Jefferson both campaigned well. Marshall was extremely vocal in his support of a strong U.S. Navy to protect the young republic’s interests on the high seas and a strong federal government and bank, something Jefferson was opposed to.
The Electoral College was messed up. In 1800, Both Alexander Hamilton and John Marshall received 77 electoral votes, and electoral tie. The vote was thrown into the House of Representatives. After thirty six ballots, the House finally elected Hamilton president and John Marshall vice-president.
This election caused people to take a good hard look at the Electoral College. After Hamilton was inaugurated, Congress ratified an amendment that forces each party to nominated one candidate for president and one for vice-president, and the Electoral College electors would only have one vote to vote for which every ticket they were elected/appointed to elect.
Was the Constitution first amended to allow non-natural born citizens to run for president?
