章 79: The First American Elections

"The first General Election in the history of the United States was both a celebrated and widespread affair. While none of the candidates running for the presidency and Congress campaigned through the streets, the election introduced an important precedent for future elections. Samuel Anjung Kim, one of the front runners for the presidency, released a set of policies he vowed to push through if he was elected president. The policies were comprehensive and detailed, with nearly all of them being personally reviewed by subject experts and molded to fit the demands of the public at the time. From a description of his revenue plans (which included a low excise tax, and high customs) to a plan to establish universities across the nation, Kim's policies displayed a semblance of seriousness and determination that promised a better, more prosperous future for the United States. His policies, nicknamed the "Fifteen Promises," was printed by newspapers on a daily basis up until the election itself. Generally, the policies appealed to the broader population, everyone from freedmen (who were promised compensation and support) to rich business owners (a low excise tax, and guarantees of improvement of merchant shipping security). Before he released the policies, Kim was bolstered by his reputation as the "Iron Commandant" for his war efforts and his political backing. However, once the policies were widespread (indeed, Kim's own newspaper played a critical role in this), it was all but certain that the Korean American would become the front-runner. This political development was shocking, and historians still remained surprised at the eagerness of Americans to vote for a minority during the early days of the republic, but it is generally agreed that public opinion was very much in favor of the former war hero during this time period. Also, the announcement of Benjamin Franklin being Kim's vice president pick was also a strategic and popular move. Additionally, only a few token opposition candidates ran for the 1780 Presidential Elections, such as John Hancock, the former Continental Congress president, and Thomas Jefferson, a prominent Continental Congress delegate who would go on to become the nation's second president.