Because the Constitution did not distinguish between President and Vice-President in the votes cast by the Electoral College, both Jefferson and his running mate Aaron Burr received 73 votes in the election of 1800. The House of Representatives cast thirty-five ballots over five days to break the tie and finally, on February 17, 1801, on the thirty-sixth ballot, the House elected Thomas Jefferson to be President.
Read more at the Center for Legislative Archives…

Today’s Document from the National Archives