Mud-Slinging and Deadly Duels: How Negative Campaigning Evolved | Retro Report

Negative campaigning has been a fixture in American politics since the nation’s earliest days. In this video, Retro Report explores how negative campaigning in the past set the tone for the divisive tactics we see in modern elections.

Smear tactics and factional politics shaped the bitter rivalry between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson during the first contested presidential election in 1796. Despite the founders’ distaste for self-promotion, the press became a battleground for attacking opponents.

With a rematch in 1800 looming, the insults became increasingly hostile, leading the Adams administration to oversee passage of the Sedition Act, which directly threatened the country’s promise of free speech. Then, a bizarre deadlock between Jefferson and his running mate, Aaron Burr, led Alexander Hamilton to intervene. That dispute sparked a deadly duel between Hamilton and Burr.