Why Was the Election of 1800 so Important?
The election of 1800 was important because both presidential candidates, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, who were also both members of the Democratic-Republican Party, received 73 electoral votes, sending the election to the House of Representatives. Alexander Hamilton, a leader of the Federalist Party, and Burr had a personal rivalry with one another, leading Hamilton to work out of the spotlight to ensure that Burr did not become the next president.
The election spurred partisan rivalry to new levels, paving the way for creative and obscure electoral ploys. The House of Representatives selection Jefferson as the new president on the 36th ballot. In his inaugural address, Jefferson pleaded for reconciliation among the feuding parties, declaring that, “We are all Republicans; we are all Federalists.”
