Lesson 3: Election of 1800
Duration of Days: 4
Lesson Objective
Students will be able to explain the "flaw" in the original Electoral College system that led to the tie in the Election of 1800 and define the concept of a peaceful transfer of power.
Why was the outcome of the Election of 1800 considered a "Revolution" even though no military conflict occurred?
What did John Adams' quiet departure at 4:00 AM signal to the rest of the world about the "American Experiment"?
Electoral College
Peaceful Transfer of Power
Inauguration
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source
Identify key steps in a text's description of a process related to history
Students examine the technical failure of the voting system and the subsequent successful (though bitter) transfer of power from the Federalists to the Democratic-Republicans.
Provide a visual flowchart showing the original "two votes" system versus the "separate ballots" system of the 12th Amendment
The "Exit Ticket" where students must argue which aspect of the election was more concerning—the voting tie or the change in leadership—using historical reasoning