1796 United States presidential election
Republicans sought to associate Adams with the policies developed by fellow Federalist Alexander Hamilton during the Washington administration, which they declaimed were too much in favor of Great Britain and a centralized national government.In foreign policy, Republicans denounced the Federalists over the Jay Treaty, which had established a temporary peace with Great Britain.Federalists attacked Jefferson's moral character, alleging he was an atheist and that he had been a coward during the American Revolutionary War.The Federalists' nominee was John Adams of Massachusetts, the incumbent vice president and a leading voice during the Revolutionary period.Adams's main running mate was Thomas Pinckney, a former governor of South Carolina who had negotiated the Treaty of San Lorenzo with Spain.Pinckney agreed to run after the first choice of many party leaders, former governor Patrick Henry of Virginia, declined.[6] The Democratic-Republicans united behind former secretary of state Thomas Jefferson, who had co-founded the party with James Madison and others in opposition to Hamilton's policies.If no candidate won votes from a majority of the Electoral College, the House of Representatives would hold a contingent election to select the winner.Additionally, there were rumors that Hamilton had coerced southern electors pledged to Jefferson to give their second vote to Pinckney in hope of electing him president instead of Adams.If any two of the three Adams electors in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina had voted with the rest of their states, it would have flipped the election.(c) Those states that did choose electors by popular vote had widely varying restrictions on suffrage via property requirements.Moreover, some states' returns have not survived to the present day, meaning that national popular vote totals in this article are necessarily incomplete.[24] The foreign intrigue France perpetrated was unsuccessful, as Adams won the election with an electoral vote count of 71–68.A significant factor in thwarting the French efforts was George Washington's Farewell Address, which condemned foreign meddling in America.[24] The Constitution, in Article II, Section 1, provided that the state legislatures should decide the manner in which their Electors were chosen.
1796 United States electionsElectoral CollegeJohn AdamsThomas JeffersonFederalistDemocratic-RepublicanMassachusettsVirginiaThomas PinckneyAaron BurrGeorge WashingtonIndependentPresidential electionsUnited StatesFederalist PartyDemocratic-Republican PartyTwelfth AmendmentHouse of Representativescontingent electionSenateFrench RevolutionAlexander HamiltonWashington administrationGreat BritainJay TreatyAmerican Revolutionary WarFranceNew EnglandMid-AtlanticFirst Party System12th AmendmentTreaty of San LorenzoPatrick HenryVice President of the United StatesGovernor of South CarolinaOliver EllsworthU.S. Chief JusticeConnecticutJohn JayGovernor of New YorkJames IredellU.S. Supreme CourtNorth CarolinaSamuel JohnstonU.S. senator from North CarolinaCharles Cotesworth PinckneyU.S. Minister to FranceJames MadisonPierce ButlerRobert R. LivingstonGeorge Clintonsecretary of stateU.S. senator from New YorkSamuel AdamsGovernor of MassachusettsTennesseeswing statesPennsylvaniaMason–Dixon lineSouthernMarylandDelawareSouth CarolinaNew YorkJohn HenryNational Archives and Records AdministrationGeorgiaKentuckyNew HampshireNew JerseyRhode IslandVermontSimon LarnedJames WinthropMassachusetts General CourtJohn Quincy AdamsJohn C. CalhounAndrew JohnsonAbraham LincolnNational Union PartyWilliam L. Smithelection of 1800Gregorian calendarleap yearsCharles DelacroixPierre AdetGeorge Washington's Farewell AddressList of 1796 United States presidential electorsInauguration of John AdamsBibliography of Thomas JeffersonHistory of the United States (1789–1849)1796–97 United States House of Representatives elections1796–97 United States Senate electionsCQ PressSimon and SchusterGreenwood Publishing GroupPaul FinkelmanRaleigh, North CarolinaBanning, LanceWayback MachineDeConde, AlexanderElkins, StanleyEric McKitrickMiller, John C.Schlesinger, Arthur MeierWood, Gordon S.President of the United StatesU.S. Minister to the United KingdomU.S. Minister to the NetherlandsDelegateSecond Continental CongressFirst Continental CongressFounding of theUnited StatesBraintree Instructions (1765)Continental AssociationPetition to the KingUnited ColoniesThoughts on Government (1776)Lee Resolution (seconded)Committee of FiveModel TreatyTreaty of Amity and CommerceTreaty of AllianceBoard of WarContinental NavyStaten Island Peace Conference