Presidential transition of Thomas Jefferson
| Date of election | October 31 – December 3, 1800 |
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| Inauguration date | March 4, 1801 |
| President-elect | Thomas Jefferson (Democratic-Republican) |
| Vice president-elect | Aaron Burr (Democratic-Republican) |
| Outgoing president | John Adams (Federalist) |
| Outgoing vice president | Thomas Jefferson (Democratic-Republican) |
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Planned transitions
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Early life and political career
3rd President of the United States
First term
Second term
Post-presidency
Legacy
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The presidential transition of Thomas Jefferson began when he won the 1800 United States presidential election, becoming the president-elect, and ended when Jefferson was inaugurated on March 4, 1801.
During the transition, Jefferson picked members of his Cabinet. He also selected individuals less principal positions of his administration, such as Meriwether Lewis to serve as his personal secretary. The transition between Adams and Jefferson represented the first transfer of the presidency between two different political parties in United States history,a and set the precedent for all subsequent inter-party transitions. It was the first time in United States history that a president handed over the presidency to a political opponent.[1][2]
Unlike modern-day presidential transitions, the transitions at this time were informal affairs, with relatively minimal activity required of the president-elect.[3]
Transition
[edit]Unlike modern-day presidential transitions, the transitions at this time were informal affairs, with relatively minimal activity required of the president-elect.[3] The transition between Adams and Jefferson represented the first transfer of the presidency between two different political parties in United States history,a and set the precedent for all subsequent inter-party transitions. It was the first time in United States history that a president handed over the presidency to a political opponent.[1][2] During the transition, Jefferson picked members of his Cabinet. He also selected individuals less principal positions of his administration, such as Meriwether Lewis to serve as his personal secretary.[3]
Inauguration
[edit]After about three months and one day as president-elect, Jefferson officially became president on March 4, 1801. Jefferson, who was staying at Conrad and McMunn's boarding house south of the Capitol building, and at about 10:00 a.m., the Alexandria Rifles marched to the intersection of New Jersey Avenue and C Street. He delivered a 1,721-word speech in the Senate chamber of the United States Capitol, and was then sworn in, administered by Chief Justice John Marshall. Outgoing President John Adams, distraught over his election defeat as well as the death of his son Charles Adams from alcoholism, did not attend the inauguration. He left the President's House at 4:00 a.m. early on a public stagecoach for Baltimore. This was the first time an outgoing president had not attended his successor's inauguration.[4][5][6]
Notes
[edit]- a.^ George Washington, who transferred power to Adams in the previous presidential transition, was nonpartisan
References
[edit]- ^ a b "How John Adams Established the Peaceful Transfer of Power". HISTORY. 2024-07-12. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ a b Diggins, John P. (2003). John Adams. Internet Archive. New York : Times Books. ISBN 978-0-8050-6937-2.
- ^ a b c "Why Did John Adams Skip Thomas Jefferson's Inauguration?". Governing. 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ "Inauguration of President Thomas Jefferson, 1801". inaugural.senate.gov. Archived from the original on 2009-01-20. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ Hayes, Kevin J. (2008). The road to Monticello : the life and mind of Thomas Jefferson. Internet Archive. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-530758-0.
- ^ "Conrad and McMunn Hotel". www.aoc.gov. 2004-12-15. Archived from the original on 2004-12-15. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
