Jefferson, Adams and the Twelfth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Jefferson gave us the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution plus the 12th.

In 1796 Jefferson lost the presidential election to John Adams, making him Adam’s vice president.

Adams was a Federalist and Jefferson was a Democratic-Republican. The two clashed several times during Adams’s presidency.

Adams and Jefferson could not stand each other. After the presidential swearing in ceremony legend has it that Jefferson never met with Adams again.

Upon becoming president in the 1800 election Jeffers…on asked for the president to be able to pick their own vice president thus the 12th amendment was born, and finally passed in 1804.

The 12th Amendment provided the following remedies:

* separate ballots are used for president and vice president;

* the candidates with the greatest number of votes for each office will be elected if that number constitutes a majority of the total electors;

* if a majority for the president is lacking, the House of Representatives shall vote by state from among the three highest candidates;

* if a majority for the vice president is lacking, the Senate shall vote by state from among the two highest candidates;

* the vice president must meet the same constitutional requirements as provided for the president.

Learn more about the 12th Amendment to the Constitution at http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h468.html