1 of 26

ELECTION OF 1824

“Every liar and calumniator was at work day and night to destroy my reputation.”

(John Quincy Adams)

2 of 26

BACKGROUND

UNITED STATES (1824)

  • 10,000,000+.
  • 24 states.
  • Missouri Compromise (1820) ~ Maine and Missouri.
  • Monroe Doctrine (1823) ~ Opposed all European intervention in the Americas.

3 of 26

DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICANS

  • Democratic -Republicans ~ Only political party active in the United States.
  • Federalists ~ Last ran a candidate in the 1816 election.
  • Virginia Dynasty ~ Period of early US history when Democratic-Republicans from Virginia controlled six consecutive presidential terms (24 years).
  • No real issues captured the attention of the people.

4 of 26

CANDIDATES

  • Numerous candidates positioned themselves for the office of president.
  • The Niles Register (newspaper) ~ Reported that as many as 17 men sought the presidency.
  • All were Democratic-Republicans.
  • Regional support for each candidate became the most important factor.

5 of 26

1824

  • John Quincy Adams (Massachusetts).
  • Republican.
  • Son of John Adams.
  • Secretary of State.
  • Regarded as aloof and reserved.
  • Supported in the industrial Northeast.

6 of 26

1824

  • William H. Crawford (Georgia).
  • Republican.
  • Congressional Caucus ~ Nominated Crawford.
  • Albert Gallatin (Vice President).
  • Supported in the “cotton” South.

7 of 26

1824

  • Crawford ~ First seen as a perfect candidate.
  • Handsome and popular.
  • Extensive experience.
  • Former Minister to France / Senator / Secretary of War / current Secretary of the Treasury.
  • Caucus nomination became a negative when Congress lost favor with the American public.
  • Suffered a stroke that hindered his campaign.

8 of 26

1824

  • Andrew Jackson (Tennessee).
  • Republican.
  • War of 1812 (Battle of New Orleans) and the Indian Wars.
  • Supported in the West and Mid-Atlantic states.

9 of 26

1824

  • 1822 ~ Nominated for president by the Tennessee legislature.
  • 1824 ~ Nominated for president by a Democratic-Republican convention in Pennsylvania.
  • “Friend of the common man.”
  • Enjoyed the greatest support across all regions.

10 of 26

1824

  • Henry Clay (Kentucky).
  • Republican.
  • Speaker of the House.
  • “The Great Compromiser.”
  • Supported in the West and parts of the South.

11 of 26

1824

  • John C. Calhoun (South Carolina).
  • Republican.
  • Secretary of War.
  • Dropped out of the race to run for Vice President.
  • Backed Jackson to slow down Crawford in the South.

12 of 26

CAMPAIGN

  • Campaign centered around personalities, not issues.
  • Quickly turned personal and ugly.
  • Rumors circulated that Adams’ father had split politically from him and that John Quincy was selling future jobs for votes.
  • Adams attacked for his poor dress and for having an “English wife.”

13 of 26

CAMPAIGN

  • Crawford ~ Accused of dishonesty during his service as Secretary of the Treasury.
  • Clay ~ Called a drunkard and gambler.
  • One politician remarked that if all the charges were true, “our presidents, secretaries, and senators are all traitors and pirates.”

14 of 26

CAMPAIGN

  • Jackson ~ Accused of murder for executing army mutineers in 1813.
  • Rumors that Jackson and his wife Rachel were adulteresses and bigamists.

15 of 26

RACHEL JACKSON

  • 1780 –Seventeen year old Rachel Donelson married Captain Lewis Robards.
  • 1790 –Separated because of the Captain’s extreme jealousy.
  • Rachel married Jackson after Robards claimed a divorce was final.
  • 1792 –Divorce found not be finalized.
  • Marriage to Jackson voided.

16 of 26

RACHEL JACKSON

  • 1794 ~ Jackson and Rachel remarried.
  • Jackson fought 13 duels, killing one man, throughout the years.
  • Accusations followed Jackson into the 1828 campaign.
  • 1828 ~ Rachel died of a heart attack two weeks after Jackson elected president.
  • She was buried in her unworn white inauguration gown.

17 of 26

ELECTION

  • November 3 ~ First election to include a popular vote by some states.
  • New York (36), South Carolina (11), Georgia (9), Vermont (7), Louisiana (5), and Delaware (3) ~ Still used state legislatures to distribute the electors.

18 of 26

ELECTION

  • Jackson ~ Not on the ballot in New England.
  • Adams ~ Did not appear on ballots in Kentucky or North Carolina.
  • Jackson ~ Won the vote but without an electoral majority.
  • John Calhoun ~ Overwhelming choice for Vice President.

19 of 26

ELECTION

  • Jackson ~ 151,271 (99 electoral votes).
  • Adams ~ 113,122 (84 electoral votes).
  • Crawford ~ 40,876 (41 electoral votes).
  • Clay ~ 47,531 (37 electoral votes).
  • Other ~ 13,053 (No electoral votes).

20 of 26

ELECTION

21 of 26

RUNOFF

  • February 9, 1825 ~ Final decision decided in the House of Representatives.
  • Second time in American history.
  • Henry Clay did not like Andrew Jackson.
  • Thought he was a military bully.
  • “I cannot believe that killing 2,500 Englishmen at New Orleans qualifies for the various, difficult, and complicated duties of the Chief Magistracy.”

22 of 26

RUNOFF

  • Clay ~ Dropped out of the race.
  • Gave the votes of the three states he won (Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri) to Adams.
  • Adams ~ Won a majority of 13 states to Jackson’s seven and Crawford’s four.
  • Clay ~ Later claimed that Adams would be more willing to spend money on projects such as roads and canals than Jackson.

23 of 26

RUNOFF

  • Jackson ~ Believed the election was stolen from him.
  • Clay ~ Traded votes for a position in Adams’ cabinet.
  • Clay ~ Became Adams’ Secretary of State.
  • “So you see, the Judas of the West (Clay) has closed the contract and will receive the thirty pieces of silver. His end will be the same. Was there ever witnessed such a bare-faced corruption in any country before?”

24 of 26

RUNOFF

  • April 1826 –Senator John Randolph of (Virginia) accused Clay of throwing the election to Adams.
  • Fought a duel.
  • Clay missed / Randolph shot into the air.

25 of 26

AFTERMATH

  • 1824 Election ~ Became known as the “Corrupt Bargain.”
  • Democratic-Republicans soon split apart.
  • Jackson ~ Led the fraction that evolved into the Democratic Party.
  • Adams and Clay ~ Leaders of the National-Republican Party.
  • Ancestors of the Whig Party.

26 of 26