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Three Fifths Compromise
Compromise made in order to ratify the Constitution that allowed enslaved people in the south to count as 3/5 of a vote. This gave extra rights to southern states for taxation and representation purposes in Congress. 3/5 Compromise -
Creation of the Electoral College
The electoral college was created during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It is known as the Great Compromise that ended the debate over how to elect a President of the United States. -
Election of 1800
The election of 1800 is a highly controversial election between John Adams (incumbent) and Thomas Jefferson. This was the first presidential election decided by Congress instead of the popular vote. Thomas Jefferson and his Vice Presidential candidate Aaron Burr had the same number of votes, so Alexander Hamilton helps sway Congress to elect Jefferson as President and Burr as his VP. Also, the first peaceful transition of power by an incumbent president. -
The Twelfth Amendment
Twelfth Amendment The Twelfth Amendment was added to the Constitution because of the chaos surrounding the election of 1800. This amendment allows a candidate for President and Vice President. It ended the practice of electing the runner-up as VP. -
Election of 1824
The election of 1824 was highly contested and the second occurrence of Congress electing the President. Andrew Jackson received more popular and electoral votes, but John Quincy Adams was chosen as the President by Congress because Jackson did not win by a majority. -
Election of 1876
The election of 1876 was another election that ended in Congress. The candidates were Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel Tilden. Tilden won the popular vote by 200,000 but fell 1 electoral vote short of winning the presidency. A bi-partisan commission was created and selected Hayes as president three days before the inauguration. Democrats agreed to elect Hayes as president in order to remove troops from the south, ending Reconstruction. -
The Electoral Count Act of 1887
The Electoral Count Act allows members of Congress to challenge a states slate of electors prior to voting on accepting the election results. A member of both the House and Senate must submit an objection in writing and the objection must be voted on by both houses. This has happened for five elections: 1969, 2001, 2005, 2017, and 2021. -
Election of 1888
The election of 1888 was the first election where the presidential candidate lost the popular vote, but won the electoral college. The election is significant because of widespread voter suppression of African American voters in the south. -
Election of 2000
The highly contested presidential election between George W Bush and Al Gore. Gore won the popular vote by more than 500,000 votes but the election would come down to the state of Florida. The Supreme Court would become involved and actually vote to end a recount in Florida, declaring Bush the winner of the election. 2000 Election -
The Capitol Riot
Due to a highly contested election and disinformation, President Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in an effort to stop the election from being voted on in Congress. This was a shocking and sad day in American History. Trump lost the popular and electoral votes by a very large number, but refused to acknowledge the results of the election and immediately concede the presidency. To this day, Trump and his supporters dispute the election.
