The election of 1792 saw George Washington become the first two-term President in American history. Let’s dive in!
Background Information
As shown on the map above, all states that had not ratified the Constitution in the 1788-89 election had now done so. Additionally, new states like Vermont and Kentucky were added to the Union in March 1791 and June 1792, respectively.
Despite his reluctance to run for a second term, George Washington was persuaded to do so. Much like the previous election, his victory was not in doubt. However, the race for the vice presidency was a bit more complicated this time around.
Before diving into the vice presidency, it’s important to discuss the growing partisan divisions that emerged since the last presidential election between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.
A Line in the Sand
In the previous article on the 1788-89 election, I briefly mentioned the Federalists, who supported the ratification of the Constitution, and the Anti-Federalists, who opposed it. By 1792, with all states having ratified the Constitution, the Anti-Federalists needed a new ideological stance, which they found under the leadership of Thomas Jefferson.
Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans believed that the United States should be an agrarian society focused on agriculture, limiting executive power, favoring states’ rights, and opposing the creation of a national bank. James Madison, who initially supported the Federalists and contributed to the Federalist Papers and the Constitution, left the Federalist camp after the proposal of a national bank and joined Jefferson to form the Democratic-Republicans, standing in opposition to the Federalists.
The Federalists, led by Washington’s Treasury Secretary, Alexander Hamilton, favored a strong federal government and supported the creation of a national bank to stimulate economic growth. This party also included notable figures like Chief Justice John Jay and Vice President John Adams. Although George Washington never officially aligned himself with the Federalists, he supported many of their ideas.
By 1792, partisanship was intensifying, with both sides aiming to steer the country in different directions. However, they were united under Washington’s presidency. By the time of the 1796 election, these divisions would become even more pronounced.
The Battle for Vice President
With Washington expected to win the presidency, the focus shifted to the Vice Presidential race. John Adams, Washington’s current VP, was the obvious choice for the Federalists. However, the Democratic-Republicans faced a challenge. Thomas Jefferson, who was interested in the VP position, could not run as he and Washington were both from Virginia, and the Constitution prohibited electors from voting for both candidates from the same state. Consequently, the Democratic-Republicans nominated former New York Governor George Clinton for vice president. However, some Democratic-Republican supporters preferred other candidates like Thomas Jefferson or Aaron Burr, a senator from New York.
The Election of 1792 Results
George Washington won re-election, becoming the first two-term president and the only one to win 100% of the electoral votes in two consecutive elections. Washington received 132 electoral votes. John Adams came in second with 77 electoral votes, George Clinton received 50 electoral votes, Thomas Jefferson got 4 votes, and Aaron Burr received just 1 vote.
Washington began his second term as president, and despite his warnings against the formation of political parties and foreign alliances, the political landscape had already solidified into two distinct parties: the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. By 1796, the struggle for the presidency would intensify.
With that, we wrap up the election of 1792. Washington’s re-election marked him as a two-term president, the ideologies of Jefferson and Hamilton solidified into distinct political parties, and the groundwork for the next election was laid.
