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Top 10 Significant Presidential Elections In American
History
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PAGE CONTENTS:
Top 10 Significant Elections
Election 1824: When the Loser Won
Election 1876: The Closest Election Ever
Some say the 2004 presidential election is one of
the most significant presidential elections in US history. However, it is impossible to judge the importance of this presidential
election until time has passed. The 2004 election will then have to demonstrate its impact on the nation. In order to be included
in this list of the top ten presidential elections, a significant event had to impact the election's outcome or the election
needed to result in a significant shift in party or policy.
1) Election of 1800
This presidential election is the most significant in US history
because of its far reaching impact on electoral policies. The electoral college system from the Constitution broke down allowing
Burr, the VP candidate to be in contention for the presidency against Jefferson. It was decided in the House after 26 ballots.
Significance: The 12th Amendment was added changing the electoral process. Further, a peaceful exchange of political power
occurred (Federalists out, Democratic-Republicans in.)
2) Election of 1860
The presidential election of 1860 demonstrated the necessity
of taking a side on the slavery issue. The newly formed Republican party adopted an anti-slavery platform that led to a narrow
victory of arguably the greatest president in US history and also set the die for secession. Individuals who once associated
with the Democratic or Whig parties yet who were anti-slavery realigned to join the Republicans. Those who were pro-slavery
from the other noncommittal parties joined the Democrats.
3) Election of 1932
Another shift in political parties occurred with the presidential
election of 1932. Roosevelt's Democratic Party came to power by forming the New Deal coalition that united groups that previously
had not been associated with the same party. These included urban workers, northern African-Americans, Southern whites, and
Jewish voters. Today's Democratic Party is still largely comprised of this coalition.
4) Election of 1896
The presidential election of 1896 demonstrated a sharp division
in society between urban and rural interests. William Jennings Bryan (Democrat) was able to form a coalition that answered
the call of progressive groups and rural interests including the indebted farmers and those arguing against the gold standard.
McKinley's victory was significant because it highlights the shift from America as an agrarian nation to one of urban interests.
5) Election of 1828
The presidential election of 1828 is often pointed to as the
'rise of the common man'. It has been called the 'Revolution of 1828'. After the Corrupt Bargain of 1824 when Andrew Jackson
was defeated, an upwelling of support arose against backroom deals and candidates chosen by caucus. At this point in American
history, the nominating of candidates became more democratic as conventions replaced caucuses. Another significance: Andrew
Jackson was the first president not born of privilege.
6) Election of 1876
This election ranks higher than other disputed elections because
it is set against the backdrop of Reconstruction. Tilden led in popular and electoral votes but was one shy of the necessary
votes to win. The existence of disputed electoral votes led to the Compromise of 1877. A commission was formed and voted along
party lines, awarding Hayes(Republican) the presidency. It is believed that Hayes agreed to end Reconstruction and recall
all troops from the South in exchange for the presidency.
7) Election of 1824
The Election of 1824 is known as the 'Corrupt Bargain'. The
lack of an electoral majority resulted in the election being decided in the House. It is believed that a deal was made giving
the office to John Quincy Adams in exchange for Henry Clay becoming Secretary of State. Significance: Jackson had won the
popular vote, but lost because of this bargain. The backlash from this election catapulted Jackson to the presidency in 1828.
Further, the Democratic-Republican Party split in two.
8) Election of 1912
The reason why the presidential election of 1912 is included
here is to show the impact that a third party can have on the outcome of an election. When Theodore Roosevelt broke from the
Republicans to form the Bull Moose Party, he hoped to win back the presidency. His presence on the ballot split the Republican
vote resulting in a win for the Democrat, Woodrow Wilson. This would be significant because Wilson led the nation during World
War I and staunchly fought for the 'League of Nations'.
9) Election of 2000
The Election of 2000 came down to the electoral college and
specifically the vote in Florida. Because of the controversy over the recount in Florida, the Gore campaign sued to have a
manual recount. This was significant because it was the first time the Supreme Court got involved in an electoral decision.
It decided that the votes should stand as counted and the electoral votes for the state were awarded to George W. Bush. He
won the presidency without winning the popular vote.
10) Election of 1796
The presidential election of 1796 is included here because
once George Washington retired, there was no unanimous choice for the presidency. This election demonstrated that the fledgling
democracy could work. One man stepped aside, and a peaceful election occurred resulting in a new President, John Adams. One
side effect of this election which would become more significant in 1800 was that due to the electoral process, archrival
Jefferson became Adams' Vice President.
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Election 1824: When the Loser Won
In the election of 1824, John Quincy Adams proved you can lose
it all and still win.
By 1824, the United States was basically operating under
a one-party system when it came to presidential politics. The once-powerful Federalists, led at their height by men like John
Adams and Alexander Hamilton, had all but disappeared from the national scene, leaving Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans
as the only party with any presidential pull.
So it seemed a safe bet that the Democratic-Republicans
would win without a hitch in '24. In fact, prior to 1824, the party's nomination process had been a sort of gentleman's game.
Leaders in Congress would simply caucus and nominate the incumbent president or--if he had already served two terms--his secretary
of state. Their nominee would then become president in a rubber-stamp popular election.
Following these unwritten rules, John Quincy Adams should
have been a shoo-in in 1824--he was the secretary of state for the outgoing James Monroe. But when caucus time came, William
Crawford of Georgia won the endorsement of the party. Miffed, Adams entered the race anyway, as did three other Democratic-Republicans:
Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, and John C. Calhoun. Calhoun soon dropped out, and a four-way race was on.
Adams had the advantage of pedigree (his father was John
Adams), but he wasn't a particularly popular figure. Crawford was well liked in the South, as was Clay in the Midwest, but
both lacked national support. Jackson, on the other hand, was a national hero. His generalship during the War of 1812 was
already the stuff of legend.
When the ballots were counted, Jackson had 43 percent of
the popular vote and 38 percent of the electors. Adams, the runner-up, had 31 percent of the popular vote and 32 percent of
the electors. Crawford, who had suffered a stroke near the time of the election, came in third with 13 percent of the popular
vote and 16 percent of the electors. Clay brought up the rear.
Despite winning both the popular vote and the electoral
vote, Jackson did not become president. Under the Constitution's 12th Amendment, a candidate must win a majority of the electoral
votes. If no candidate wins a majority, the House of Representatives chooses the president from the top three contenders.
So, since Jackson hadn't won a majority, the decision went to the House.
Clay, who wielded lots of influence, threw his support
behind Adams. Soon rumors began that they had struck a "corrupt bargain," with Clay supporting Adams and Adams promising to
make Clay secretary of state in return. Clay, who aligned best with Adams ideologically, vehemently denied the charge. The
House elected Adams president on its first vote, and Adams made Clay secretary of state. Four years later, Jackson got his
revenge, defeating Adams in a landslide.
--Steve Sampson
KnowledgeNews is brought to you by Every Learner, Inc., an independent
small business dedicated to supporting lifelong learners. Copyright © 2008, Every Learner, Inc. All rights reserved.
Election 1876: The Closest Election Ever
America knows a thing or two about the political limbo that can follow
an especially close election. No, we don't have in mind Bush v. Gore. We have in mind Hayes v. Tilden in 1876.
Back in 1876, vote-counting controversies not only required a special
electoral commission--they nearly restarted the Civil War.
By 1876, post-Civil War Reconstruction had been
around for a decade, and federal troops had been removed from political duty in every state except Florida, Louisiana, and
South Carolina. The country was celebrating its centennial. No one had any reason to suspect that the year's presidential
election would nearly plunge the nation back into chaos.
The two political parties we all know and love had risen
to prominence in the previous 50 years. In 1876, the Republican Party nominated Governor Rutherford B. Hayes of
Ohio for president. The Democratic Party nominated Governor Samuel J. Tilden of New York. American men went to the polls on
November 7 (women weren't allowed to vote until 1920).
At first, it seemed they had delivered the election to
Tilden. On November 8, newspapers across the country proclaimed Tilden president-elect in banner headlines. Those prognostications,
however, proved premature.
The popular vote was close. Tilden won it by a margin of
less than 250,000 votes (out of 8.3 million). The Electoral College vote was even closer. Tilden had 184 undisputed electoral
votes, one short of a majority, to Hayes's 165. Trouble was, the remaining 20 electoral votes--enough to put either candidate
over the top--were hotly disputed.
Both parties claimed victory in Florida, Louisiana, and
South Carolina, where voters divided sharply along racial lines--and where federal troops were a hot-button issue. Accusations
of voter fraud flew from all sides, and before long, different local governing bodies were certifying different "official"
results, and different slates of electors, for the same states.
Democratic certifiers threw out enough Republican votes
to certify a Tilden victory. Republicans did the same in favor of Hayes. The dispute became so serious that Democratic papers
ran headlines shouting "Tilden or War!" and General William Sherman moved four artillery batteries to Washington to ensure
order.
The Constitution doesn't cover what to do when states can't
make up their minds about whom they've voted for. So, to deal with the problem, Congress created a special fifteen-member
commission--including five senators, five House members, and five Supreme Court justices--that would decide which electors
to accept.
Fourteen of the commission's members split evenly along
party lines. The key fifteenth member was Justice David Davis, a one-time Republican who by 1876 was considered an independent
with Democratic inclinations. The Democrats believed Davis would give their candidate a fair shake.
Just as the law creating the commission was passing Congress,
however, the Illinois state legislature unexpectedly appointed Davis to the U. S. Senate, and he promptly resigned from the
commission. His replacement was Justice Joseph Bradley, a tried-and-true Republican who ended up voting for Hayes in every
case.
House Democrats threatened a filibuster to prevent Republican
electors' votes from being entered, but they backed off after Hayes promised to remove federal troops from the South, effectively
ending Reconstruction. The Electoral College made Hayes president on March 2, 1877, less than three days before his inauguration.
--Steve Sampson
KnowledgeNews is brought to you by Every Learner, Inc., an independent small business dedicated to supporting lifelong
learners. Copyright © 2008, Every Learner, Inc. All rights reserved.
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