| James Monroe was the favorite candidate of both former Presidents, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison to become the next President of the United States. Secretary of War, William Crawford, opposed Monroe, but Monroe received the Republican nomination without difficulty.
Monroe's opponent in the general election was Rufus King. King was a Federalist Senator from New York. King was an early opponent of slavery.
The election campaign of 1816 itself was highly one-sided. The early opposition of the Federalists to the War of 1812 had, for all practical purposes, destroyed the party. The war ended with the American victory at the Battle of New Orleans. As a result, those who opposed the war were discredited. Monroe went on to win an overwhelming victory.
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