The electoral process in the United States changed in the 1820s. Indeed not all people, and not in all parts of the election process, but voters were gaining increasing control over the elections. At the same time, short-lived one-party rule in the United States was beginning to fracture into competing factions. The election of 1924 was the end of an era in American politics, which laid the groundwork for a radical shift in 1828. How did this contest, accused of ending in a "corrupt bargain," play out in a way that realigned American politics? Well, this article is all about that and more!
Fig.1 - John Quincy Adams
King Caucus
By the election of 1820, the Federalist Party had fallen apart and ceased to nominate a candidate for the presidency. The Democrat-Republican Party candidate now ran unopposed. At the time, primaries were decided by a caucus of party members in Congress instead of directly by voters. With only one active political party and no direct nomination, critics called this process the "King Caucus."
Caucus:
A closed gathering in which the attendees decide on policy and nominate their candidates.
Before this election, America was in the "Era of Good Feelings," where only one political party existed, and issues were not decided along partisan lines. With the Federalist party no longer existent, some in the Democrat-Republican Party began to take on some of their ideas. Without another party to identify themselves, the party began to split into factions that supported different agendas instead of holding to a single platform.
Fig.2 - William Crawford
Election of 1824 Candidates
Four candidates were in the running for the presidency in 1824. They were John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William Crawford, and Henry Clay. "King Caucus" had decided on William Crawford as the Democrat-Republican candidate, but the backing of the only major political party at the time did not guarantee him the position. The system had lost respectability, and only one-fourth of the Democrat-Republicans in congress chose to participate in the caucus.
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams' father, John Adams, had America's second president and an important founding father. His political experience included serving as a senator and Secretary of State, where he negotiated necessary territorial expansions. The Adams was the new country's first political dynasty, but his success as Secretary of State also caused John Quincy to be viewed as the heir to the presidency. This contrasted with calls for increased public alternatives. In the election, Adams, from Massachusetts, represented the North in the increasing divide between the North and the South.
In American politics of this period, the Secretary of State, not the Vice President, was viewed as the most likely to be the next nominee.
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was a very different candidate from John Quincy Adams. Instead of being a descendant of a political dynasty, he was an orphan who had risen to become a lawyer and businessman in Tennessee. Jackson represented the agricultural South in contrast to Adams' metropolitan Bostonian roots.
Henry Clay
North and South were not the only interests in the United States; Clay was the candidate for the expanding West. A congressional representative from Kentucky, Clay had been party to crucial activities such as negotiating the end of the War of 1812, creating the American System, and the Missouri Compromise.
William Crawford
Crawford was the chosen candidate for the Democrat-Republican Caucus. His choice was unusual as he was far less popular than Adams or Jackson and had suffered a stroke in 1823, leaving him paralyzed and almost blind. Incapacitated due to the stroke, Crawford himself was able to do little during the election.
Fig.3 - John C Calhoun
Election of 1824 Vice President
While the presidential contest was highly competitive, The vice presidency was decided in a landslide. John C. Calhoun of South Carolina had initially attempted to run for president. When he could not garner enough support in the crowded field to become a viable candidate, he accepted the nomination for vice president. At the time, the office of vice president was not tied to a presidential candidate as a single ticket. Calhoun easily won the office, unlike the disputed presidential election.
Although he readily accepted the votes of Adams' supporters, Calhoun opposed many of his ideas and aligned much more closely with Jackson on many issues.
1824 Presidential Campaign
The 1824 election had the unusual feature of political party affiliation not being a significant factor in determining the outcome. With the body that nominated William Crawford being viewed as illegitimate by many, no one candidate had solid partisan support. Electors chosen by state legislatures had decided previous elections, but in this race, the electors were chosen directly by the voters. The candidates in this election did not campaign with the public but had their supporters out spreading their message. Through the perceived illegitimacy of the "King Caucus," the election was a de facto public primary for the one-party system in the United States.
De facto:
A thing which is in fact or in effect. It is used in contrast to de jure, which means "by law."
Election of 1824 Voting Results
Name | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes |
Andrew Jackson | 99 | 153,544 |
John Quincy Adams | 84 | 108,740 |
Henry Clay | 37 | 47,531 |
William Crawford | 41 | 40,856 |
Fig.4 - 1824 Presidential Election Results
Election of 1825 House of Representatives
The 12th Amendment stated that if no single candidate received more than half of the electoral votes, the House of Representatives would decide the election between the three candidates with the highest electoral votes. Even though Clay led Crawford in popular votes, Clay was not a contender because he had received fewer electoral votes. The House was officially deciding between Jackson, Adams, and Crawford but Crawford was too ill from his stroke to present a case for his candidacy. On February 09, 1825, the House of Representatives held their election to John Quincy Adams.
House Election Results
Candidate | States Supporting |
John Quincy Adams | 13 |
Andrew Jackson | 7 |
William Crawford | 4 |
Fig.5 - Corrupt Bargain Political Cartoon
Election of 1824 Corrupt Bargain
Now out of the running for the presidency, Henry Clay was Speaker of the House and held considerable power over the elections. Kentucky's state legislature had instructed its House delegation to vote for Jackson, but they disobeyed and voted for Adams. Clay had convinced them and others to vote for Adams instead of Jackson and was appointed Secretary of State by Adams when he assumed the presidency. Jackson's supporters accused that a "Corrupt Bargain" had been made where Clay had delivered the election to Adams in exchange for the political appointment to Secretary of State.
Despite the allegation of the "corrupt bargain" and Clay's known role in pushing for Adams, Clay had strong disagreements with both Jackson and Williams, which would have put him on Adams' side either way.
Election of 1824 - Key takeaways
- End of the "Era of Good Feelings," where there was only one national political party in the United States.
- The process of nominating a candidate was discredited and referred to as the "King Caucus."
- The Democrat-Republican Party had begun to splinter, and four candidates ran for President in 1924.
- The 12th Amendment sent the election to the House of Representatives to decide because no one candidate received more than half of the electoral votes.
- Despite Andrew Jackson receiving the most votes, the House chose John Quincy Adams.
- Due to the Speaker of the House, who influenced the election by being named Secretary of State by Adams, the election was accused of being a "corrupt bargain."
Explanations 
Exams 
Magazine 
