[1][2] Clinton was a major candidate for the American presidency in the election of 1812, challenging incumbent James Madison.

In the 1812 presidential election, Clinton won support from the Federalists as well as from a group of Democratic-Republicans who were dissatisfied with Madison.

Though Madison won re-election, Clinton carried most of the Northeastern United States and fared significantly better than the previous two Federalist-supported tickets.

Clinton believed that infrastructure improvements could transform American life, drive economic growth, and encourage political participation.

Because the council was overwhelmingly Republican and loyal to the Clintons, De Witt suddenly became the most powerful politician in the state.

[8] In 1802, he used his authority as a director of the Manhattan Company, the leading Republican bank in the state, to force the withdrawal of Burr and his key supporter John Swartwout.

In a special election, Clinton defeated the Federalist Nicholas Fish and the Tammany Hall candidate Marinus Willett to become lieutenant governor until the end of the term in June 1813.

Clinton ran for president as a candidate both for the Federalist Party and for a small group of antiwar Democratic-Republicans.

It was the strongest showing of any Federalist candidate for the U.S. presidency since 1800, and a change in the votes of one or two states would have given Clinton the victory.

[12] After the resignation of Daniel D. Tompkins, who had been elected vice president, he won a special gubernatorial election in which he was the only candidate; 1,479 votes were cast for Peter Buell Porter against Clinton's 43,310, because the Tammany organization, which fiercely hated Clinton, had printed ballots with Porter's name on them and distributed them among the Tammany followers in New York City.

In April 1824, most of his political opponents, the Bucktails, voted in the New York State legislature for his removal from the Canal Commission, which caused such a wave of indignation among the electorate that he was nominated for governor by the People's Party and was re-elected governor, defeating the official candidate of the Democratic-Republican Party, his fellow Canal Commissioner Samuel Young.

Morgan, who threatened to publish an exposé of the rituals of Freemasonry, disappeared and was apparently kidnapped and supposedly murdered by Masons.

[17] Clinton's proclamations had no effect, however, and the Masonic fraternity underwent a period of severe decline in many regions of the United States because of criticism set off by the scandal.

[18] The Grand Lodge of New York has established the DeWitt Clinton Award, which recognizes distinguished or outstanding community service by non-Masonic organizations or individuals whose actions exemplify a shared concern for the well-being of Mankind and a belief in the worldwide brotherhood of Man.

The cost of moving freight between Buffalo and Albany fell from $100 to $10 per ton, and the state was able to quickly recoup the funds that it had spent on the project by collecting tolls along the canal.

[24] When Clinton died suddenly of heart failure in Albany on February 11, 1828, he left his family in poor financial condition.

Fearing that he might not get his money, the creditor obtained a judgment that resulted in a public sale of most of the Clinton family possessions.

Enough money was realized from the sale of the property to satisfy the judgment, but nothing was left to help the Clinton family through the difficult years ahead.

As a result, Clinton's remains were placed in the family vault of Dr. Samuel Stringer (1735–1817), an old friend and fellow Mason from Albany, in the old Swan Street Cemetery.

On June 21, 1844, a newspaper in Albany printed this small announcement: "The remains of DeWitt Clinton, which had been deposited in the cemetery in Swan Street, were removed to New York for interment under a monument created by the family."

Clinton's accomplishments as a leader in civic and state affairs included improving the New York public school system, encouraging steam navigation, and modifying the laws governing criminals and debtors.