What role did political parties play in the lection of 1796?
At the very least, the parties created a divided executive branch. John Adams, the candidate of the Federalist Party, had the good will of George Washington, controlled the Northeast, while Thomas Jefferson, the candidate of the Democrat-Republican Party, controlled Pennsylvania and the South. The result was a 71-68 tally in the electoral college. Adams’ favored Vice Presidential candidate, Thomas Pinckney, received only 59 votes. That meant that Jefferson, who was little regarded as a candidate for Vice President, still got that slot by virtue of nine more electoral votes than Pickney. There was some behind-the-scenes movement by Alexander Hamilton (who would later cost Aaron Burr his shot at the presidency), who tried to swing the election in Pickney’s favor. The effort failed, and Adams was saddled with a V.P. who was constantly critical of his policies. As for the parties, the two sides engaged in bitter debates, with the Federalists linking the Democrat-Republicans to the violent
