1800 Election Results

Posted at 4:11 pm on Wednesday, October 1, 2003, in Uncategorized.

The following are the results of the 1800 election for President which resulted in the first constitutional crisis. Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, both running as Democratic-Republicans, each received 73 electoral votes. There being no winner the election was taken up in the House of Representatives (as per the Constitution) and a lengthy vote ensued (thirty-six ballots over six days). Each state was allocated one vote (as per the Constitution). On February 17, 1801, Thomas Jefferson received the votes from ten states, Aaron Burr four, and two states witheld their vote. Thomas Jefferson became the third President and Aaron Burr became Vice President. This “crisis” led to the passage of the 12th Amendment that clarified the election procedure. The biggest story of this election is the politics that occured during the vote in the House. I will address that in another post. (Hint: Alexander Hamilton, his father-in-law and a stubborn Burr.)

[1] John Jay was the third President of the Continental Congress of the United States of America (served December 10, 1778 to September 28, 1779).

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