The Man Who Made Jefferson President

November 12, 2015  •  Leave a Comment

The ultimate cliffhanger in politics ushered in President Thomas Jefferson by one vote. After nearly a week of stand-off in the House of Representatives, that vote was cast by Matthew Lyon of Vermont. Lyon's vote for Jefferson was a defeat for the Federalists, as they hoped to keep  Jefferson out of office by electing second choice Aaron Burr. Lyon had been thrown in jail for criticizing  Federalist John Adams, whose Sedition Act was early attempt to modify the constitutional guarantee of free speech. Lyon's revenge was the ensuing collapse of the Federalists as the dominant national party.

It is also true that Vermont Congressman Lewis Morris failure to vote for Burr on the last ballot decided the election for Jefferson.


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