The Corrupt Bargain of 1824
1) After two successful terms as President, James Monroe
left office in 1824. The War of 1812 produced such
nationalistic fervor that it led to an unprecedented period
of political unity known as the Era of Good Feelings.
New England’s opposition to the War of 1812, the
untimely death of Alexander Hamilton, and the growth of
western agricultural states led to the eventual extinction
of the Federalist Party.
The Corrupt Bargain of 1824
Adams
Clay
Crawford
Jackson
3) In the election of 1824 there were 4 major
candidates = John Quincy Adams of
Massachusetts, Henry Clay of Kentucky,
William H. Crawford of Georgia, and
Andrew Jackson of Tennessee.
The Corrupt Bargain of 1824
4) Andrew Jackson’s status
as a war-hero naturally
made him the popular
choice of the people.
His campaign against
the forces of corruption
and aristocratic
privilege in government
resonated with Western
voters in particular.
The Corrupt Bargain of 1824
5) Despite Jackson’s popularity, winning a majority
in a four-way race proved to be difficult. In the
nation-wide popular vote Jackson led the way
with 41%, Adams trailed in second with 33%,
followed by Crawford with 14%, and Clay with
12%.
The Corrupt Bargain of 1824
6) The Constitution mandates that a candidate must receive a
majority in the Electoral College in order to become the
President. Statewide popular vote tallies determine what
candidate is awarded the electoral votes of that
particular state. If no candidate achieves a majority of
electoral votes, the members of the House of
Representatives must vote to determine the winner.
The Corrupt Bargain of 1824
7) Henry Clay of Kentucky only received 12% of the
popular vote and had little chance of winning the
election. However, Clay held a vital position as
the Speaker of the House. As a western rival of
Andrew Jackson, Clay used his influential
position in the House of Representatives to elect
John Quincy Adams as President.
The Corrupt Bargain of 1824
Adams
Clay
8) Despite the appearance of vindictiveness against
Jackson, Clay naturally supported Adams
because they both favored a stronger national
government with an industrial economy. Shortly
after Adams was elected, Clay was nominated as
the Secretary of State.
The Corrupt
Bargain of 1824
9) Feeling robbed of the
Presidency, Jackson’s
supporters immediately
declared the ordeal as a
“corrupt bargain”
between the aristocratic
Adams and the
scheming Clay. These
harsh and vociferous
criticisms plagued the
Adams administration
for the next four years.
The Corrupt Bargain of 1824
Ex. – Jackson condemned Clay as “the Judas of the
West.” John Randolph of Virginia publicly
criticized Clay’s alliance with Adams to the extent
that Clay challenged Randolph to a duel. Both
missed, but the political battle continued.
The Election of 1828
1) For four years John Quincy Adams sought to unite the
country under the same nationalistic banner that he had
enjoyed as Monroe’s Secretary of State during the Era of
Good Feelings. Despite the disputed election, Adams
had to deal with growing sectional problems such as the
tariff, westward expansion, northern industry, southern
slavery, and states’ rights.
The Election of 1828
The National
Republicans
The Democrats
2) Both the Era of Good Feelings and the Age of Jefferson
had come to a close by 1824. The election of 1828
revealed a split within Jefferson’s DemocraticRepublican Party. Adams nationalistic views and his
focus on foreign policy led him to run as a “National
Republican.” Jackson’s campaign against aristocratic
privilege and his broad-based appeal among rural
western voters led his Party to adopt the name of
“Democrats.”
The Election of 1828
3) As a candidate from Tennessee, Jackson’s followers
presented him as a rough frontiersman that was
sympathetic to the concerns of the common man. His
reputation as a fierce Indian fighter also made him very
popular among western voters. His war-hero status
from the Battle of New Orleans also helped him make
inroads into northern states.
The Election of 1828
5) Political mudslinging and
negative campaigning
reached new lows during
the election. Adams’ men
tried to characterize
Jackson as an illiterate
and uneducated military
extremist. Without Adams
knowledge, his
supporters launched
nasty personal attacks
against Jackson by
accusing his mother of
being a prostitute and his
wife an adulteress.
The Election of 1828
6) Jackson’s wife Rachel
was already in poor
heath and she died a
month after the election.
Jackson believed that
the personal attacks
against her character
worsened her already
fragile state and caused
her death. Jackson
personally blamed
Adams for the loss of
his wife and he never
forgave him.
The Election of 1828
8) Given the appearance of a “Corrupt Bargain” in
1824 combined with the frustrations of the
Adams administration, Jackson was almost
handed victory in 1828. However, several
transformations in the American political system
also helped ensure a Jackson victory.
The Election of 1828
9) During the 1820s many states did away with the
property-owning requirement for voting. A
dramatic increase in voter eligibility greatly
diminished the political influence of the wealthy
aristocracy. The introduction of Universal White
Male Suffrage marked incredible transformations
in American politics.
The Election of 1828
A) The number of voters in the election of 1828 was
twice that of 1824. Jackson’s common-man
appeal certainly made him popular among this
new class of voters
B) The Jacksonian Era marked a dramatic
transformation in American politics. The sudden
surge in political participation forced politicians
In an effort to appeal to the common-man,
politicians were forced develop grassroots
campaigns that sought the inclusion of all
Americans.