The Deadlocked Election of 1800: Jefferson, Burr, and the Union in the Balance

It was one of the most critical elections of American history, overshadowed only by the one that plunged the country into civil war. The deadlocked election of 1800 has earned considerable attention and debate from historians; now James Roger Sharp reveals that modern observers didn’t necessarily get it right.

Only a decade old, the Constitution gave the federal government more powers than had the Articles of Confederation, causing many citizens to fear the erosion of states’ rights. Meanwhi...