James Monroe was nominated by the DR Caucus with Daniel D. Tompkins running for Vice President on 3/16/1816. At first, the Federalists gloated. The Salem Gazette commented on 3/22/1816 that Monroe had the support of a minority of the Democratic Republican Party and that he was vulnerable. “We are indifferent about the result, but incline to opinion that Col. Monroe has no chance of succeeding Mr. Madison,” the paper editorialized.

The major victim of the 1816 Caucus was the caucus system of nominating presidential candidates. Monroe supporters maintained that congressional plotting nearly cost Monroe the nomination, although he was the preference of the majority of the party ( Richmond Inquirer, 3/23/1816). Monroe newspapers set forth the proposition that the states should nominate presidential candidates in order to avoid the undue influence of congressional plotters. Monroe’s opposition maintained that President Madison forced Monroe upon an uninterested party ( New York Courier, 3/20/1816). As a result, the anti-Monroe press also advocated abolishing the influence of the Caucus.

Pennsylvania Federalists went to work trying to form an anti-Monroe coalition. They and anti-Caucus Republicans formed a coalition electoral ticket. It was assumed that this ticket would have cast half of its vote for William Crawford and half for the F

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James Monroe was nominated by the DR Caucus with Daniel D. Tompkins running for Vice President on 3/16/1816. At first, the Federalists gloated. The Salem Gazette commented on 3/22/1816 that Monroe had the support of a minority of the Democratic Republican Party and that he was vulnerable. “We are indifferent about the result, but incline to opinion that Col. Monroe has no chance of succeeding Mr. Madison,” the paper editorialized.

The major victim of the 1816 Caucus was the caucus system of nominating presidential candidates. Monroe supporters maintained that congressional plotting nearly cost Monroe the nomination, although he was the preference of the majority of the party ( Richmond Inquirer, 3/23/1816). Monroe newspapers set forth the proposition that the states should nominate presidential candidates in order to avoid the undue influence of congressional plotters. Monroe’s opposition maintained that President Madison forced Monroe upon an uninterested party ( New York Courier, 3/20/1816). As a result, the anti-Monroe press also advocated abolishing the influence of the Caucus.

Pennsylvania Federalists went to work trying to form an anti-Monroe coalition. They and anti-Caucus Republicans formed a coalition electoral ticket. It was assumed that this ticket would have cast half of its vote for William Crawford and half for the Federalist nominee, not yet named. As the year progressed, however, it became clear that anti-Caucus Republicans were quite reluctant to oppose Monroe’s nomination.

The Albany Advertiser issued an editorial on 10/2/1816 which set forth the case against Monroe and the Caucus. The paper quoted one anti-Caucus Monroe supporter who believed that since no one had offered a candidacy opposing Monroe, he would have been elected even without the Caucus. The Advertiser aptly rebutted his argument: “Had there been no Caucus, or had another person been nominated by the Caucus, or had the Caucus separated without making any nomination, Mr. Monroe would never have been President of the United States.”

On 11/1/1816, Rhode Island Federalists called a state meeting to name Presidential Electors. The convention’s resolution noted that the party did not have a nominee for president or vice president but felt it was important to host a slate of Electors to run against the Monroe Electors. Rhode Island American, 11/5/1816. Pennsylvania Federalists called a conference to name a candidate to head their fusion ticket, but leading Federalists in the state declined to attend.

The Popular Vote.

Ten states chose Presidential Electors by popular vote in early 11/1816. Three chose by district: KY, MD, and TN. Seven chose by the General Ticket (at large): NH, NJ, NC, OH, PA, RI, and VA. Of all these states, however, the Federalist mounted no challenge at all in five and only token opposition in three others. The two states with real contests were NH and PA, and Monroe won both states comfortably.

During the first week of 11/1816, just as the popular election was taking place, the name of Rufus King surfaced as the Federalist nominee. He had already turned down the nomination in the spring, after narrowly losing the governorship of New York State. However, when the Secretary of the Treasury released a list of people who owed money to the federal government, King’s name was on the list. While serving as Minister to England in 1796-1803, King delivered money to secure the release of Lafayette from a French prison. A Department of the Treasury official mistakenly recorded the money as a loan to King rather than stating that it was to be used for the assistance of Lafayette, and the list of public debtors was released in 1816. Federalist newspapers ran a series of articles clearing King’s name and including a letter he wrote to Monroe (Secretary of State) in which he set forth the facts in the case. (An example of the editorials on the issue was that printed in the Albany Advertiser on 10/11/1816). These editorials paved the way for the assumption that King would be the Party’s standard bearer.

Electoral vote of 1816

Key sources

The Glorious Burden, pp. 97-102.

The Presidential Game, pp. 106-107.

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