why was the election of 1800 decided in the house of representatives
The election of 1800 was decided in the House of Representatives because of a unique situation that arose due to the design of the electoral college system at that time. Let me explain how the election process of that time worked:
1. Electoral College: In the United States, presidents are not elected directly by the people but through a system called the electoral college. Each state has a certain number of electors, who cast their votes for the presidential candidates based on the majority popular vote in their state.
2. Electoral Votes: In the election of 1800, there were 138 electoral votes available, and a candidate needed at least 70 votes to win the presidency.
3. Tie between Presidential Candidates: The Democratic-Republican ticket, comprising Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, won the majority of electoral votes. However, both Jefferson and Burr received the same number of votes, resulting in a tie with 73 votes each.
4. Flawed System: At the time, the Constitution did not differentiate between the presidential and vice-presidential candidates on the electoral ballot. Electors simply voted for two candidates, without specifying their intended role.
5. Decision in the House of Representatives: The tie in the electoral college led to a deadlock, as no candidate had achieved the required majority (70 votes). The Constitution stated that in case of such a deadlock, the House of Representatives would decide the winner of the presidential election.
6. Voting in the House: Each state delegation in the House of Representatives was given one vote, regardless of the number of representatives from that state. The winning candidate needed a majority of the state delegations (i.e., nine out of 16).
7. Campaign for the Presidency: During this time, intense campaigning took place within the House. The Federalist Party controlled the House, and they were mostly opposed to Thomas Jefferson. However, Alexander Hamilton, a prominent Federalist, saw Jefferson as a lesser evil compared to Burr and convinced his party to support Jefferson.
8. Jefferson's Victory: Eventually, on the 36th ballot, Thomas Jefferson secured the majority in the House, with 10 state delegations voting for him. Burr, who was seen as having fewer merits and greater personal ambition, received only four state delegations' support.
In summary, the election of 1800 was decided in the House of Representatives due to a tie in the electoral college between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. Through a series of balloting in the House, Jefferson emerged as the winner and became the third President of the United States.