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Historic and Disputed Elections in American History
“A kind of panic overspread the country. Even grave and sensible people wondered dolefully whether the American republic was about to founder on a calm sea, and so strong was the feeling that every newspaper and all conversation were devoted to the subject.”1
This quote depicts a nation consumed by the drama of politics, bustling with talk of scandal, corruption, and the future of the American Presidency. But this event was not
a recent political uproar. Rather, the quote refers to the excitement surrounding the Tilden vs. Hayes Presidential election of 1876, and serves as an excellent reminder of the
cyclical nature of American politics and Presidential elections.
While many of us remember clearly the controversy and national debates surrounding the presidential elections of 2000, perhaps fewer Americans are aware that throughout American
history there have been numerous disputed elections that have stirred national interest, led to significant changes in legislation, and highlighted the importance of each vote.
Many of the circumstances and debates during the election of 2000 were not new in American history. For example, the presidential elections in 2000 were not the first elections
in which the winner of the popular vote did not win the election. In the election of 1824, John Quincy Adams’ victory despite his loss of the popular vote was surrounded by rumors
of corruption and scandal. After Election Day, Andrew Jackson held the majority of popular votes but did not receive a majority of electoral votes. Jackson’s competitors, John Quincy
Adams, William H. Crawford, and Henry Clay, had also received significant numbers of electoral votes. The final decision was deferred to the House of Representatives, where only the
top three candidates, Adams, Jackson and Crawford, were considered. Before the House met, however, an anonymous letter appeared in a Philadelphia newspaper claiming Adams would trade
Clay’s support for an appointment as Secretary of State. Although Adams denied these claims, he quickly won the election with Clay’s support and later appointed Clay Secretary of State.
Charges of a ‘corrupt bargain’ would haunt Adams and Clay for the rest of their careers.
Although there have been several disputed elections with heated debates and allegations of corruption, the Tilden v. Hayes controversy of 1876 most closely resembled the 2000 Elections in
circumstances and length. In this infamous election, the nation was held at bay for four months while a special Electoral College committee debated 20 contested electoral votes. On Election
Day, Tilden, a Democrat, won the popular vote by nearly 250,000 votes, but the Republicans contested 20 close electoral votes in Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina and Oregon. Hayes needed all
20 of these contested votes to win the election, but Tilden only needed one. The special bi-partisan committee deliberated the contested votes and eventually awarded all 20 to Hayes only three
days before the scheduled inauguration. Hayes’ victory in this election serves as an excellent reminder of the power and importance of one vote.
Other controversial elections have earned a less-prominent place in history, but have resulted in important legislation and interesting historic anomalies. In the election of 1800, for example,
initially both Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr were elected President with 73 electoral votes each, because electors were not required to denote their votes for president and vice-president. To
break the tie, the decision was deferred to the House of Representatives, where delegates debated and voted for three months before declaring Jefferson President and Burr Vice-President. To prevent
a repetition of this problem, Congress ratified the Twelfth Amendment in 1904, which required electors to specify their votes for President and Vice President.
In another unusual election, Ulysses S. Grant was awarded all 286 electoral votes when his opponent Horace Greeley died on November 29, 1872 after the election but before electors met to cast their votes.
From just these few examples, it is clear that the history of American Presidential elections is filled with drama, excitement, and sometimes unexpected results. It is also interesting that in spite of these
contested elections, much of our national voting protocol remains unchanged. Several candidates throughout history have questioned the function of the Electoral College and called for a direct popular vote,
but the Electoral College and its unique system of votes remains. The elections this November will be an interesting opportunity to observe the workings of the Electoral College and see if history will repeat itself!
Please visit Colonial
Williamsburg’s website in the coming months for more information about historic elections, voting history, the history of the Electoral College, elections teaching tools, and more.
1“The Situation” Harper’s Weekly. Vol. 1878, December 23, page 1030ac.
This article was written by Katherine Penick, Colonial Williamsburg Intern, History and American Studies major at the College of William and Mary, Class of 2005.
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