1808
James Madison and the 1808 map
James Madison, Jefferson's Secretary of State and chief architect of the Constitution, won the presidency with a comfortable electoral margin. Six electors voted for George Clinton instead of Madison. The unpopular Embargo Act of 1807 was a key issue, as it had devastated New England's economy while failing to change British or French behavior. Pinckney performed better than in 1804 but the Federalists remained a regional New England party.
Embargo Act and neutral trade rights amid the Napoleonic Wars
Madison won despite the unpopular Embargo Act; Federalists made modest gains in New England
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