John Adams and Thomas Jefferson forged a strong friendship and alliance in the heady days before and during the Revolutionary war. They were united by a common cause—freedom from Great Britain and the foundation of a new and better nation built on republicanism (meaning no monarchy) and democracy. They were united too by the stresses of war and by fear of sharing the same fate should the Americans lose the war: execution as traitors.
But while both were united behind the same general political ideals, the devil is in the details, and by the election of 1800, the paths of these two men had already sharply diverged. They clashed primarily over the power of the central government: Jefferson feared a strong federal government and favored state's rights, while Adams was adamantly in favor of a strong federal system.
Their relationship had begun deteriorating in the 1790s, largely over Jefferson's support of the French Revolution and Adam's growing distaste for what he considered Jefferson's arrogance. When they ran against each other in the 1800 election, it became one of the bitterest election battles ever, further dividing the two former friends. Jefferson won the election and, as a result, Adams immediately left town. The two would, however, reconcile about a decade later.
Bitterness also infected the relationship between prominent political figures Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton hated Burr as an opportunist and never missed a chance to attack him politically. This included the 1800 election, in which Burr ran successfully for vice president despite Hamilton's opposition. Hamilton's ceaseless attacks on Burr finally lead Burr to challenge Hamilton to duel and kill him in 1804.
The election of 1800 was the first election that pitted opposing parties against each other, and it was rancorous in nature. In this election, the incumbent, John Adams, who was a Federalist, ran against Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, or Republican for short. The Federalists accused Jefferson, who supported the French Revolution, of supporting anarchy and rebellion. On the other hand, the Republicans criticized the Federalists for passing the Alien and Sedition Acts, which they believed curtailed civil rights.
The Democratic-Republicans won the election, but Thomas Jefferson tied Aaron Burr, who was running for vice-president, in the Electoral College vote. This outcome resulted because the president and vice-president ran on the same ballot (a procedure that was later changed). The tie was thrown to the House of Representatives, where Alexander Hamilton pushed for Jefferson's nomination as president. Hamilton had long opposed Burr and had thought of him as corrupt and undeserving of public office. Their rivalry dated back to 1791, when Burr ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate against Hamilton's father-in-law. They later tangled in New York politics, when Hamilton was the leader of the state Federalists (see the source below) and Burr was involved with the state Democratic-Republicans. In 1804, Hamilton and Burr fought a duel on the cliffs of Weehawken, New Jersey, in which Burr killed Hamilton.
https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/burr-vs-hamilton-behind-the-ultimate-political-feud
The case of Adams and Jefferson is especially marked and poignant. These two men, early advocates of American independence in the Second Continental Congress, became close friends and correspondents during the Revolution and the years that followed. However, with the establishment of the new federal government, they became adversaries due to their differing political views and their ambitions. Jefferson, who served as vice president under Adams, ran for president against him in the 1800 election. The election was so full of vitriol and mudslinging that the two men did not speak again for many years. In the final years of their lives, they began a correspondence that ended only with their deaths, on the same day (July 4) in 1826.
Burr and Hamilton had no such lifelong friendship but were not rivals until the 1790s, when Hamilton, who did not trust Burr, began to actively campaign against him in New York City. In 1800, with Burr and Jefferson locked in an Electoral College tie, Hamilton, who disagreed profoundly with Jefferson, nevertheless endorsed him over Burr. This was not the direct reason for their fatal duel, but the two men became bitter personal and political rivals. Later, Hamilton made public remarks against Burr, criticizing his character, and Burr challenged him to the infamous duel that ended Hamilton's life. The political divisions of the period were not the only factors contributing to the duel, but they provided an atmosphere in which a bitter rivalry could fester into violence.
https://www.history.com/news/burr-hamilton-duel-political-legacy-died
The election of 1800 caused significant damage to relationships that had been developed in the past. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were no longer seeing events the same way. Jefferson favored a smaller federal government and more rights for the states. Adams believed in a larger, more powerful federal government. Adams had hoped to manipulate the electoral vote to win the election, but he failed to succeed in doing this. Thomas Jefferson was not pleased with the actions of John Adams. Adams and Jefferson were no longer on favorable terms with each other.
Aaron Burr realized he had a chance to win the presidency in 1800, even though his party clearly wanted Jefferson. Both Jefferson and Burr received the same number of electoral votes. Instead of allowing Jefferson to get the presidency, Burr hoped he might gain enough Federalist votes in the electoral college to take the presidency from Jefferson. This created a deadlocked House of Representatives and increased tensions between the two men.
Even Adams and Hamilton had become bitter enemies by the end of the election of 1800. Hamilton blasted Adams in the final weeks of the election. Hamilton also had a strong dislike for Burr. He publicly blasted Burr in the presidential election of 1796. He also campaigned against Burr in 1804 in an election for governor. Eventually, Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton engaged in a dual in 1804, leading to Hamilton’s death.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/burr-slays-hamilton-in-duel
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/echoes-from-the-president_b_10326026
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/thomas-jefferson-aaron-burr-and-the-election-of-1800-131082359/
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