When the Founding Fathers drafted the U.S. Constitution in 1787, not only did they
establish the supreme law of the land, but they ultimately created a new system of government.
Their goal was to prevent the establishment of tyranny similar to that from which they had just
fought against in the American Revolutionary War. The new system was centered on the idea
that the power to govern should come directly from the people, but it did not include all people.
The Founding Father’s thinking, although faulty, was revolutionary. It fundamentally limited the
powers of the federal government to prevent it from evolving into a system with unjustifiable
restraints on individual freedom.1 Over time, 19th century American ideas about government’s
relationship to the individual changed. Politics in the United States became more inclusive.
Although the evolution was gradual, it was necessary and inevitable. Eventually individuals who
were previously excluded from the American government became more accepted by and
involved in politics.
The start of the 19th century set the tone for the development of the American
government’s relationship to the individual, and the 1800 presidential election was the catalyst.
Presidential candidates John Adams and Thomas Jefferson fought hard, emotional campaigns.
Each side—the Federalists (Adams) and Republicans (Jefferson)— believed that victory by the
other would ruin the nation. Overall, the Federalists wanted a strong central government that
could control the voice of the popular majorities, while the Republicans wanted to limit the
federal government in favor of states’ rights and individual liberties. In the long run, the
Republican ideals dominated American politics well into the rest of the century.2
Jefferson won the election, but not without controversy. The Republicans electors gave
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1 James D. Best, “The Founders Believed in Limited Government,” http://
www.whatwouldthefoundersthink.com/the-founders-believed-in–limited-government
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2 “The Election of 1800,” U.S. History Online Textbook, http://www.ushistory.org/us/20a.asp
Jefferson and running mate Aaron Burr the exact same number of votes for president. Burr was
originally chosen as the vice president candidate of the Republican Party but he decided to fight
for the chief executive position. Ironically, this left the Congress filled with Federalists to chose
between the two Republicans or “even steal the election back for their party.”3 Honorably,
Federalist leaders agreed that the country would be better served in the long run by avoiding the
violent battles over control of government authority. This became the first time in U.S. history
that political power was peacefully transferred from one party to another as a result of an
election.4 Jefferson described his victory as “the revolution of 1800.” He considered it extremely
significant because it was “not effected indeed by the sword” but “by the rational and peaceable
instrument of reform, the suffrage of the people.” “Through the democratic political channels
established by the Constitution, the American people had fundamentally changed their leadership
through voting rather than warfare,”5 which set the precedent for the decades that followed.
Following the War of 1812, a strong sense of nationalism swept through the U.S.
