1812

James Madison and the 1812 map

Madison won re-election during the early stages of the War of 1812 against Britain. His challenger, DeWitt Clinton of New York, ran as a fusion candidate backed by both anti-war Democratic-Republicans and Federalists. The election was competitive, with Clinton carrying most of New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Madison's victory ensured continuation of the war effort, though the conflict would ultimately end in a draw with the Treaty of Ghent in 1814.