Question

ultimately, the outcome of the presidential election of 1800 was decided by

Answer 1

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Answer 2

The House of Representatives decided the 1800 election after Jefferson and Burr received a tie vote in the Electoral College. Jefferson and Burr were running mates but in those days the electors each cast two votes. The winner became president and the person finished second became vice-president .

None of the 73 Republican electors dropped Burr's name from the ballot so Burr was tied with Jefferson instead of coming in second. The election was therefore thrown into the House of Representatives.

After 35 deadlocked ballots in the House, Hamilton had his agents contacted Jefferson and they negotiated some vague commitments from Jefferson that he would continue some of the Federalist's foreign policy and maintain the Hamilton financial apparatus in the government, and Hamilton then would throw his support to Jefferson in the next House balloting. Hamilton was able to convince a few Federalists to abstain on the next ballot, and Jefferson was elected President on the 36th ballot. The election proved that the Constitutional method to elect a president was not workable, so in 1804 the Twelfth Amendment was added to the Constitution providing that electors would vote separately for president and vice president.


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