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 12 th 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.