Political Unity During Our Founding Era
From the First Continental Congress in 1774 until the election of 1824, America was more politically united than at any other time in our nation’s history. While there were differences of opinion, the Founders had a common goal of gaining our independence from England. Only after England was defeated and the new Constitution took effect did their unity begin to splinter.
Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, discusses how dissension within the ranks of our Founders led to the first contested presidential election in 1796, and why it still matters today.
Images courtesy of The New York Public Library, Library of Congress, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Archive, National Gallery of Art, Reynolda House, National Portrait Gallery - Smithsonian Institution, Wikipedia.
After serving two terms as President, George Washington decided to not seek a third and instead retire from public life. His decision led to the country’s first contested presidential election in the fall of 1796, pitting Thomas Jefferson against Vice President John Adams. Arguably, no presidential election in the history of the United States has ever featured a choice between two such American titans.