November 2 – December 5, 1804 1808 → 15 2 72.8% 27.2% | 162 14 104,110 38,919 Start date 1804 | |
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Winner Thomas Jefferson Other Instances United States presidenti, United States presidenti, United States presidenti, United States presidenti, United States presidenti | ||
The United States presidential election of 1804 was the fifth quadrennial presidential election, held from Friday, November 2, to Wednesday, December 5, 1804. It pitted incumbent Democratic-Republican President Thomas Jefferson against Federalist Charles Cotesworth Pinckney of South Carolina, a hero of the American Revolutionary War and former Ambassador to France. Jefferson easily defeated Pinckney and George Clinton was elected vice president. Clinton went on to serve under both Jefferson and his successor, James Madison.
Contents
- Background
- Democratic Republican Party nomination
- Presidential candidates
- Vice presidential candidates
- Federalist Party nomination
- General election
- Results
- References
The presidential election of 1804 was the first one conducted following the ratification of the Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which reformed procedures for electing presidents and vice presidents. Under the rules of the Twelfth Amendment, presidential electors were required to specify their choice for president and vice president on their ballots; previously, electors voted only for president, with the person who came in second becoming the vice president.
Jefferson's 45.6 percentage point victory margin in the popular vote remains the highest victory margin in a presidential election in which there were multiple major party candidates. With this election, Jefferson became the first former vice president in American history to be elected and re-elected president, a feat that has since been repeated only once, by Richard Nixon in 1968 and 1972.
Background
Although the presidential election of 1800 was a close one, Jefferson steadily gained popularity during his term. American trade boomed due to the temporary suspension of hostilities during the French Revolutionary Wars in Europe, and the Louisiana Purchase was heralded as a great achievement.
Democratic-Republican Party nomination
The caucus of Republicans in Congress selected the ticket. Jefferson's re-nomination was never in any real doubt, with the real issue being seen as who they would nominate to replace disgraced Vice President Aaron Burr. Burr would likely have been dropped from the ticket anyway since his relationship with Jefferson had soured, but the Burr–Hamilton duel definitively ended any hope of Burr's re-nomination. Governor George Clinton of New York was chosen to be Jefferson's running mate instead.
Presidential candidates
Vice-presidential candidates
Federalist Party nomination
The Federalists chose Pinckney and former United States Senator Rufus King of New York to run against Jefferson and Clinton.
Presidential candidates
Vice-presidential candidates
General election
Attacks on Jefferson's policies proved fruitless; Jefferson's victory was overwhelming. He even won most of the states in the Federalist stronghold of New England. Pinckney won only two states- Connecticut and Delaware. This was the first election where the Democratic-Republicans won in Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. This was the last time that Massachusetts voted for the Democratic-Republicans until 1820, and the last time that New Hampshire and Rhode Island voted for the Democratic-Republicans until 1816.
Results
Source (popular vote): U.S. President National Vote. Our Campaigns. (February 10, 2006).
Source (Popular Vote): A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787-1825
Source (electoral vote): "Electoral College Box Scores 1789–1996". National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved July 30, 2005.
(a) Only 11 of the 17 states chose electors by popular vote.
(b) Those states that did choose electors by popular vote had widely varying restrictions on suffrage via property requirements.