To: Poet who wrote (40846 ) 12/11/2001 9:41:02 AM From: J. C. Dithers Read Replies (2) | Respond to ...many of whom are so politicized at this point in history ...America Afire, a riveting account of the 1800 election that pitted John Adams against Thomas Jefferson. If you really want downright dirty, scurrilous, venomous, hateful, etc., that is an era worth revisiting. The Federalists (Adams, Alexander Hamilton) despised the Republicans (Jefferson, Aaron Burr), and vice-versa. Both sides believed the nation itself was at stake, and accusations of treason and sedition flew back forth with total abandon. Many Republican supporters were thrown in jail by Federalist judges for alleged libel and slander, or even alleged treason. The Republicans won the election, with Jefferson to be president and Burr V.P., but a screw-up in electoral votes ended up with both men having an equal number of votes, leaving it technically unclear which one was to be president. Burr then connived to try to steal the presidency from Jefferson, while the Federalists tried to overthrow the whole election and keep Adams in the White House. Mud was flung in every direction, everyone was deep into plotting and scheming, and there was real fear of civil war and blood in the streets. The House took over a 100 votes before the matter was settled and Jefferson became the third president.
