32 pages • 1 hour read
Edward J. LarsonA Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America's First Presidential Campaign
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2007A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Key Figures
John Adams
John Adams was an ambitious man who spent many years serving his country in the shadow of more celebrated and charismatic leaders, in particular: Washington during the Revolutionary War and during his Presidency; and Benjamin Franklin during his years in France. Adams, who always nursed visions of his own ascent to political glory, finally got his chance when Washington declined to run for a third term. Adams, the presumptive successor to Washington’s Federalist Presidency, nonetheless started out as an unpopular candidate, fighting off an insurgent challenge from within his own party. Even when he won the Presidency, his unpopularity continued to plague him. He lost favor across the nation due to his handling of affairs with France and his perceived favoring of the British monarchy.
Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson was known for his lifelong commitment to civil liberties. From his early days, as draftsman of the Declaration of Independence, he vocalized his support for the common man’s right to freedom and self-determination. He was ambitious, but deeply principled, never sacrificing his commitment to civil liberties, even when his staunch support for religious freedom was used to cast him in a negative light on the eve of the 1800 election.
Alexander Hamilton
Hamilton was a staunch Federalist, but no ally to John Adams. Even during the election of 1796, Hamilton sought to usurp the Presidency from Adams (the presumed nominee) on behalf of the High-Federalist faction within his party. High-Federalists were the purist extreme wing of the party, holding cherished beliefs about elite rule even more staunchly than the regular Federalists, who were willing to strike political bargains with Republicans in Congress. High Federalists rallied behind Hamilton and his proposals, including his vision for the centralized banking system.
Aaron Burr
Burr, like Hamilton, lost his parents at an early age and grew up with a chip on his shoulder. His ambitions to prove himself drove him above all else: “Burr saw his path to glory through pragmatic politics. He took ideologically inconsistent stands on various issues and even courted Federalist support for a possible” (90) run for governor in 1792.
For Burr, the ends always justified the means, and he privileged personal political strategy over policy results or even party loyalty:“The product of urban politics and a full generation younger than Washington, Adams, and Jefferson, Burr could not keep himself out of sight or above the fray. He yearned for high office and never hid his ambitions, which made some politicians distrust him” (112). This reputation ultimately cost him in the tie-breaking votes that decided the election of 1800.
