Adams Vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800

From Publishers Weekly Veteran historian Ferling's account of one of America's most extraordinary political dramas lays bare the historically pugilist nature of American presidential politics. In 1800 the nation was struggling to its feet amidst an array of threats from foreign governments and a host of constitutional struggles. Against this backdrop, President John Adams, an elite, strong-willed Federalist, set to square off against his vice president, Thomas Jefferson, a populist Republican. The campaign was brutal. Republicans assailed the Federalists as scare-mongers. Federalists attacked Republicans as godless. But it was a constitutional quirk that nearly collapsed the nascent United States. Adams was eliminated, but Jefferson and his vice–presidential running mate, Aaron Burr, tied in the Electoral College with 73 votes, throwing the decision into the House of Representatives. That left the Federalist-dominated House to decide between two despised Republicans for president. After 36 votes, a political deal finally gave Jefferson the presidency, ending a standoff that had the nation on the brink of collapse. Although his account is dense at times, Ferling richly presents the twists and turns of the election, as well as a vivid portrait of a struggling new nation and the bruising political battles of our now revered founding fathers, including the major roles played by James Madison and Alexander Hamilton. In what has already proven to be a vicious 2004 campaign, readers will take some comfort in knowing that the vagaries of the political process, although no doubt exacerbated today by mass media, have changed little in over 200 years. Of even greater comfort, and Ferling's ultimate triumph, is showing that, historically, when faced with dire circumstances at home and abroad, American democracy has pulled through. B&w illus., maps. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review "A contentious presidential race that makes the 2000 debacle look like a schoolyard hissy fit." -- Entertainment Weekly

"A well-written look at the enigmatic politics and personalities of the early Republic." -- Kirkus Reviews

"The 2004 campaign may seem tame after historian Ferling's riveting account of the 1800 presidential race." -- USA Today

"The 2004 campaign may seem tame after historian Ferling's riveting account of the 1800 presidential race."--USA Today "Ferling at his best. It would be hard to find a better guide to the complexities of this very complex election, and Ferling is particularly good at showing just how many contingencies there were.... Useful and lucid."--Herbert Sloan, American Historical Review "The tale of Adams and Jefferson is a painful and moving one. They were friends, then enemies, then friends again over a period of more than 50 years. Ferling does a good job of summing up the similarities that made their friendship possible as well as the differences destined to drive them apart."--Los Angeles Times Book Review "Ferling richly presents the twists and turns of the election, as well as a vivid portrait of a struggling new nation and the bruising political battles of our now revered founding fathers, including the major roles played by James Madison and Alexander Hamilton.... Ferling's ultimate triumph is showing that, historically, when faced with dire circumstances at home and abroad, American democracy has pulled through."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Ferling is especially adept at revealing the bare-knuckled partisanship that lay behind this vote, and the maneuvering between Burr and Federalists in the House of Representatives that might have made Burr president rather than Jefferson."--Washington Post "A lively and reliable account of Thomas Jefferson's election as President in 1800, a fiery period in American history. Readers who assume that national politics in the 1990s was the dirtiest ever or that the election of 2000 was the most controversial will bestruck to learn that political rivalries in the 1790s were even dirtier.... Gen