John Adams
Thomas Jefferson in 1796 Presidential election
Thomas Jefferson
democratic republican
the 1796 presidential election:
The outcome of the 1796 presidential election was controversial because it resulted in the first contested election in American history. The Federalist candidate John Adams narrowly defeated the Democratic-Republican candidate Thomas Jefferson, but Adams's vice president was Jefferson's political rival, Thomas Pinckney. This created tension and a sense of political instability, as the president and vice president were from opposing parties.
There were 12 presidential candidates in the election of 1796. Therefore, there were 11 people who lost to John Adams. Thomas Jefferson was the leading contender to Adams and one of the losers. He was elected as Adam's vice president.See Sources and related links for more information and a list of the candidates.There were 12 presidential candidates in the election of 1796. Therefore, there were 11 people who lost to John Adams. Thomas Jefferson was the leading contender to Adams and one of the losers. He was elected as Adam's vice president.See Sources and related links for more information and a list of the candidates.
In the election of 1796, Thomas Jefferson represented the Democratic-Republican party against John Adams, who was a Federalist. John Adams won, and since Jefferson came in second, he became the vice president. Having a specific vice presidential candidate did not occur until some years later.
In 1808, Charles C. Pinckney, Federalist candidate from SC was his main opposition. George Clinton from NY also ran against him and won 6 electoral votes in his home state.In 1812, DeWitt Clinton ,from NewYork, was his Federalist opponent.
Washington chose not to run again, so this was the first election that began to see the two-party system develop between John Adams (Federalist) and Thomas Jefferson (Republican).
John Adams was defeated for re-election by his VP, Thomas Jefferson in 1800. That occurred because of the way vice-presidents were chosen in those days. Jefferson became VP because he came in second to Adams in 1796.
The presidential election was held in November of 1796. Washington made it clear that he would not serve a third term, so the candidates were John Adams who favored a strong central government and Thomas Jefferson who wrote the Declaration of Independence and remembered what a strong central government could do. Adams won this first round.