Presidential Election of 1824
• In 1824, there was no clear favorite to win
the election for President of the US.
• There was only one political party, since
the Federalists had died out, leaving the
Republican Party in total power.
• There were four candidates who were very
popular in their own area of the country.
• These men were called “favorite son”
candidates.
• The four candidates were:
John Quincy Adams
• He was the son of John
Adams, the only Federalist
president.
• He was the favorite son of the
Northeast.
• He favored a high protective
tariff.
• He was the leading contender.
Henry Clay
• He was the favorite son of
the West.
• He was from Kentucky.
• He actually shared political
views with Adams, but they
did not like each other
because of their differing
personalities.
• Adams: the rigid New
Englander versus Clay,the
hard- drinking Westerner.
Andrew Jackson
• He was a Senator from
Tennessee and military hero.
• He was one of the favorite sons
of the West, since he drew
Western support from Clay.
• His political views were not
well-known at the time of this
election.
William Crawford
• William H. Crawford of
Georgia was born in Virginia
and hoped to continue the
“Virginia Dynasty”.
• He was the favorite son of
the South.
• He held to the old
Republican view of limiting
the role of the central
government.
Corrupt Bargain
• The 12th Amendment provided that elections in which no
candidate received a majority should be decided by the
House of Representatives from among the top three
candidates.
• Clay was out of contention and Crawford was an unlikely
prospect because of a serious illness.
• Jackson clearly expected to win, figuring that the House
would act to confirm his strong showing.
• However, Clay, as Speaker of the House, used his influence
to sway the vote to Adams.
• Although they were not close, Clay knew that he and Adams
shared a common political philosophy.
• Clay also was not interested in doing anything to further the
career of his main rival in the West.
• Adams won the election on the first ballot in the House of
Representatives and became the nation’s sixth president.
• His subsequent appointment of Henry Clay as Secretary of
State led to angry charges of a “corrupt bargain.”
• Why did Jackson feel that Clay and Adams
had cheated him by making a deal?
• By making Clay the Secretary of State,
Adams was putting Clay in line to become
the next President, since the last four
Presidents had earlier been Secretary of
State.