A highly contested presidential election between the Federalist Party (John Adams, incumbent) and the Democratic-Republican Party (Thomas Jefferson).
The election revealed a flaw in the Electoral College system where electors cast two votes for president without specifying which was president and vice president.
Jefferson and Burr tied in the Electoral College, forcing the election to be decided by the House of Representatives, where each state delegation had one vote.
After a long deadlock and intense political maneuvering (Hamilton influenced the outcome in favor of Jefferson), Jefferson was elected president.
Impact? Why Significant?:
Marked the first peaceful transfer of power from one political party to another in the United States, establishing a precedent for peaceful transitions of power.
Signaled the decline of the Federalist Party and the rise of the Democratic-Republican Party, ushering in an era of Jeffersonian Democracy.
Led to the ratification of the 12th Amendment (1804) to the Constitution, which altered the Electoral College procedures to prevent a repeat of the 1800 tie, requiring electors to cast separate ballots for president and vice president.
Exemplified the growing partisan divisions and the intensity of political battles in the early republic.