Why did political tensions increase after the election of 1796?
(1 point)
• Jefferson lost support from farmers and abandoned his ideals.
• The elected president and vice president were from opposing parties.
O Adams was outraged that he did not get to choose his vice president.
• Hamilton sided with Jefferson over foreign policy issues.
The elected president and vice president were from opposing parties.
The political tensions increased after the election of 1796 primarily because the elected president and vice president were from opposing parties. This created a divided government, with President John Adams, a Federalist, and Vice President Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, serving in conflicting political roles. The differences in their political ideologies and policies led to increased tensions between their respective parties and supporters. Furthermore, Alexander Hamilton, a prominent Federalist leader, sided with Jefferson over foreign policy issues, further contributing to the growing political divide. However, it is not accurate to say that Jefferson lost support from farmers and abandoned his ideals, or that Adams was outraged about not selecting his vice president, as these reasons do not directly explain the increase in political tensions.
The correct answer is: The elected president and vice president were from opposing parties.
To get the answer, we need to understand the context of the 1796 election. The election of 1796 was the first contested presidential election in the United States. The two main candidates were John Adams of the Federalist Party and Thomas Jefferson of the Democratic-Republican Party.
During the election, political tensions were already high as the country was divided into two political factions - the Federalists, led by Adams, and the Democratic-Republicans, led by Jefferson. When the results were announced, Adams became the president, while Jefferson, as the candidate with the second-highest number of electoral votes, became the vice president.
The election of a president and vice president from opposing parties was a significant factor in increasing political tensions. This was because the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans had contrasting ideologies and policy positions. Their differing viewpoints often led to disagreements and disputes over important national issues.
The presence of political opponents in the two highest positions of power in the country contributed to the rise of political animosity and further polarized the nation. It also created challenges for governing as the president and vice president had conflicting policy goals and priorities.
Therefore, the correct answer is that the election of 1796 increased political tensions because the elected president (Adams) and vice president (Jefferson) were from opposing parties.