Cooper Zelnick

The election of 1796 was critical in the history of the United States. It was the first presidential election that was contested, and considering that the elected individual was to replace the iconic George Washington, there was a great deal at stake. Continue reading →

“John Adams: Unfit to Lead”

            This campaign advertisement took the perspective of the Jeffersonian-Republicans in accusing John Adams and the Federalists of being monarchist aristocrats that favored Britain over America’s Revolutionary War allies, France. The issues of foreign policy and international allegiance were highly relevant in the lead-up to the Election of 1796 due to the fact that France and England were in conflict at that time. Continue reading →

One of the primary reasons John Adams was elected to the presidency was the prevailing notion that he was the natural and logical successor to George Washington, who’s prestige and reputation remained largely – and in historic perspective, remarkably – intact. Continue reading →