More hawkish/dovish candidate in each election

[darklordoftech]

1796: Not sure
1800: Adams more hawkish towards France and Navy buildup, Jefferson more hawkish towards pirates
1804: Not sure
1808: Not sure
1812: Madison more hawkish, Clinton more dovish
1816: Not sure
1820: N/A
1824: Adams most dovish, Jackson most hawkish, Clay in between them, not sure about Crawford
1828: Jackson more hawkish, Adams more dovish
1832: Jackson more hawkish, Clay more dovish
1836: Not sure
1840: Not sure
1844: Polk more hawkish, Clay more dovish
1848: Not sure
1852: Not sure
1856: Not sure
1860: Lincoln most hawkish towards the South, Breckinridge most hawkish towards the North
1864: Lincoln more hawkish towards the South
1868: Grant more hawkish towards the South
1872: Grant more hawkish towards the South
1876: Tilden was probably thought to be more dovish towards the South
1880: Garfield more hawkish, Hancock more dovish
1884: Blaine more hawkish, Cleveland more dovish
1888: Harrison more hawkish, Cleveland more dovish
1892: Harrison more hawkish, Cleveland and Weaver more dovish
1896: McKinley more hawkish, Bryan more dovish
1900: McKinley more hawkish, Bryan more dovish
1904: No difference
1908: Taft more hawkish, Bryan more dovish
1912: Roosevelt probably perceived as most hawkish, Wilson probably perceived as more dovish than Taft
1916: Hughes seemed to be more hawkish and Wilson seemed to be more dovish
1920: Not sure
1924: Not sure
1928: Smith more hawkish, Hoover more dovish
1932: Roosevelt more hawkish, Hoover more dovish
1936: No difference
1940: No difference
1944: No difference
1948: No difference
1952: Eisenhower more hawkish, Stevenson more dovish
1956: Eisenhower more hawkish, Stevenson more dovish
1960: Kennedy more hawkish, Nixon more dovish
1964: Goldwater more hawkish, Lyndon more dovish
1968: Not sure
1972: Nixon more hawkish, McGovern more dovish
1976: Ford more hawkish, Carter more dovish
1980: Reagan more hawkish, Carter more dovish
1984: Reagan more hawkish, Mondale more dovish
1988: Bush more hawkish, Dukakis more dovish
1992: Clinton more hawkish, Bush more dovish
1996: Dole more hawkish, Clinton more dovish
2000: Bush more hawkish, Gore more dovish
2004: Bush more hawkish, Kerry more dovish
2008: McCain more hawkish, Obama more dovish
2012: Romney more hawkish, Obama more dovish
2016: Trump more hawkish, Hillary more dovish
2020: Trump more hawkish, Biden more dovish

For 1996, 2000, and 2016, I prioritized Iraq, Iran, North Korea, and China policy over (for 1996 and 2000) Haiti, Bosnia, and Kosovo policy and (for 2016) Syria and Russia policy.

[darklordoftech]

Jackson ignored a SCOTUS decision to persue his Indian Removal policies (claiming that the President is elected and the SCOTUS isn’t) and Polk was a single issue pro-war-for-Texas candidate. In fact, the phrase “Manifest Destiny” was coined by a Polk supporter.

[darklordoftech]

But I believe Adams was more in favor of sizing up a navy. I think you're right however.
Garfield and Blaine supported sizing up the navy. Blaine was for sure more hawkish than Cleveland.

I edited the OP according to these things.

[darklordoftech]

As for which elections the hawk/dove divide was most pronounced in, I’d say 1812, 1824, 1828, 1844, 1896, 1964, 1972, 1980, 1984, 2004, and 2008.