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Instead pf traveling around the country to gain support as in today's elections, how did the candidates campaign for the election of 1800?

User Dickbarba
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Final answer:

In the 1800 election, candidates didn't campaign across the country as they do today. Instead, their focus was on rallying support among political elites, who then cast their electoral votes. Popular vote didn't have the influence it carries in today's elections.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the election of 1800, the typical forms of campaigning that we see today, such as candidates touring around the country to garner support, were not quite established. Instead, the method of campaigning was different and largely influenced by the political landscape of the time.

National political parties as we understand them today were not fully formed. The nation's political focus was more local, based on elite politics, limited suffrage (voting rights) and property ownership. While national issues did exist, they were significantly fewer and largely centered around security efforts against external and internal threats.

During the 1800 election, candidates gained support primarily via the Electoral College; it consisted of electors who were mostly chosen by state legislatures rather than the popular vote. In this system, the electoral votes mattered more than the popular vote. Presidential candidates did not so much campaign throughout the country as they did rally support among the political elites who would then cast their electoral votes.

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User Leandro Galluppi
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