Death (and Resurrection) of
the Two Party System:
1815-1828
Libertyville HS
Election of 1816
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James Monroe (D-R)
Rufus King (F) and
four other candidates
Result was no
surprise
• DRs had taken issues
of BUS, tariff from
Feds
• Plus, Feds very
unpopular due to
Hartford Convention
James Monroe183 ECV
Rufus King
34 ECV
James Monroe
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
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
Virginian plantation
owner
Fought in Rev War
(shot at Trenton;
holding flag)
Served in Congress,
US Senate; diplomat
to France; Governor
of VA
One of the negotiators
of LA Purchase
SoS to Madison,
1811-1814; SoWar
1814-16
James Monroe
Monroe as
President
“Era of Good Feelings”, 1816-1824

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No partisanship (b/c
only one political
party existed)
Society expanding,
growing, building (W,
pop, new constr)
Nationalism strong
(W of 1812)
Marred by Panic of
1819 & slavery issue
Panic of 1819
Land Act of 1800

Land Act of 1800
• Remember the NW
Ordinance of 1787?
• Divided NW Territory;
created Indiana Territory
and Ohio T.
• Removed 640 acre
minimum purchase price
• Changed to 160 acres at
$2.00 per acre, payable
over 4 years w/ $80
down
• State banks loaned to
money to virtually
anyone to buy land
• Many bought, few could
afford
Causes of the 1819 Panic

2nd BUS’ conservative
credit policies
• Called in loans made to
state banks
• State banks failed b/c land
speculators couldn’t repay
state bank loans

End of Napoleonic Wars
• Agricultural prices dropped
(Europe coming around)
• Lower demand for US
manufactured goods as
European goods flooded US
• Resulting unemployment
Fixing the Panic
Land Act of 1820
• Eliminated purchase of
federal land on credit
• 80 acres at $1.25 per
acre, cash only! Down
payment $100
• Made western lands
MUCH more affordable
Regional differences
• North = raise tariffs
• South = lower tariffs
Slavery
List of States, 1820
Slave States


Missouri becomes
first state west of
Mississippi ready
for statehood
Issues
• Senate balance
between slave,
non-slave
• Should Western
lands have slavery?
Free States
GA
IL
SC
PA
VA
NJ
NC
CT
KY
MA
TN
IN
LA
NH
MD
NY
MS
RI
AL
VT
DE
OH
Slavery in the West

Tallmadge Amendment
• NY Rep James Tallmadge
• Forbid additional
importation of slaves into
MO
• Gradual emancipation, at
age 25
• Began nationwide debate
& agitation over slavery
issue
• House adopted, but
Senate defeated it
Missouri Compromise, 1820

Henry Clay (remember
him?)
• Speaker of the House
• Proposed compromise

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Missouri = slave state
Maine = free state
• Preserved Senate
balance

LA Territory division
• North of line = free
• South of line = slave
Missouri Compromise line
Election of 1820


Monroe ran
unopposed
Monroe wins all
ECV – except one
• GW story
• Truth: NH Elector
didn’t like Monroe’s
policies (“wasteful
extravagance”)
Monroe:
221 ECV
John Q. Adams
1 ECV
Monroe Administration
Official WH Portrait

Political Atrophy
• No Federalists = DRs
dominate
• Monroe neglected party
building at local level

Internal development
• Infrastructure
construction
(“American System”)
• Westward mobility

Foreign affairs
• Gained FL thru AdamsOnis Treaty (1821)
• Monroe Doctrine
(1823)
Election of 1824
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
Two ballots: 1
president, 1 VP
4 Presidential
candidates
• Andrew Jackson
(TN)
• John Quincy Adams
(MA)
• Wm. H. Crawford
(SC)
• Henry Clay (KY)

1 VP candidate: John
C. Calhoun (SC)
Jackson:
Adams:
Crawford:
Clay:
153,544 / 99 ECV
108,740 / 84 ECV
46,618 / 41 ECV
47,136 / 37 ECV
SO WHO WON???
Election of 1824

NO ONE!!!
Jackson
• Voting went along sectional lines
• 131 ECV for majority, to win

No ECV majority, so 12th
Amendment = House of Reps
• Each state gets 1 vote
• Vote on top three ECV winners:
Jackson, Adams, Crawford

“Corrupt Bargain”
• Clay, House Speaker, hated
Jackson
• Clay threw support behind Adams
• Adams won on First Ballot in
House
• Clay appointed Secretary of State
Adams
Clay
Crawford
Fallout from Election of 1824
Revival of Two Party System
Democratic Republican Party
Democratic Party
National Republican Party
(become “Whigs”)
Andrew Jackson
Martin Van Buren
John Quincy Adams
Henry Clay
John Quincy Adams
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Louisa Adams
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John Q. Adams
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Son of John Adams
(2nd President)
Only President to be
married to foreign born
wife, Louisa
Diplomat under GW,
Dad, Madison
Sec’y of State under
Monroe
Main author of Monroe
Doctrine
President Adams’ Admin

Wanted to continue the
“American System”
• High tariff (supported
internal development)
• National Bank
• High land prices (= gov’t
revenue)
• Roads & canals

Great opposition to
Adams in Congress
• Narrow victory = no
mandate
• Jackson, his supporters
resisted giving Adams any
victories; blocked all of
American System
Election of 1828

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Jackson & Calhoun
vs. Adams & Rush
Incumbent VP
switched sides!
Jackson wins
handily
New coalition of
Democrats
• South, West regions
• PA, VA (Van Buren)
Results
Jackson: 178 ECV / 642,553
Adams:
83 ECV / 500,897