The Presidential Election 1816

Democratic-Republican James Monroe was the former secretary of state under President James Madison and, as one of the founding fathers, was widely considered to be the favourite presidential candidate despite some dissent within the party. New York governor Daniel D. Tompkins successfully ran as Monroe’s running mate for vice president. In the election of 1816, Monroe was in a strong position and faced weak opposition from the collapsing Federalist party. Their nominee was two-time vice presidential candidate Rufus King; he would become the last Federalist candidate to run for president. Monroe won a decisive victory with 183 electoral votes to King’s 34, and embarked upon a presidency that became known as ‘The Era of Good Feelings’.