Adams Vs Jefferson Essay

Leading up to the election of 1800, American politics were very turbulent because the United States was still a young country and was only in its third presidential election. After the Revolutionary War in 1783, the United States desperately needed to develop a government that would not resemble the British monarchy and that would be beneficial for all Americans. Thus, the Constitutional Convention took place where several politicians, including Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, met on May 25, 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to discuss a new government for the recently independent states. Though many argued on issues such as whether slaves counted as people or property and how a president would be elected, the convention resulted in

Despite their many differences, Adams and Jefferson met at the Continental Congress in 1774 and became very good friends. However, their differing political views eventually separated them and caused them to run against each other in the presidential election of 1800. John Adams grew up in a strict Calvinist home located on a farm. His father was a farmer and did not make a lot of money. Therefore, after finishing college, Adams had to choose a career to support himself. Adams became a successful lawyer and practiced for 12 years before going into politics. Thomas Jefferson, on the other hand, grew up in an Anglican home where religion was not enforced heavily. Jefferson 's father was a wealthy planter; so he had 5,000 acres of land that he was to inherit. Because he had some wealth already backing him, Jefferson became a lawyer after college and only practiced for 5 years. When Adams and Jefferson first went into public politics, many knew who Jefferson was because of his writing pieces and because of his reputation rooted in his wealth. On the other hand, not many knew Adams even though he was a renowned lawyer in Boston. These differences were not important or prevalent initially; but as Adams and Jefferson began expressing their political views on things such as the French Revolution and the federal government, people started to favor one over the other and Adams ended up pitted against Jefferson. These opposing views are what caused the tumult in America and what changed our politics