The Corrupt bargain - the election of 1824
The election of 1824 involved 3 major figures in American history and the winner was actually decided by the House of Representatives. One man won the election, one man helped that man win the election, and one man stormed out of Washington, disgusted with the whole affair he termed “the corrupt bargain.” Until the Election of 2000 (Bush v. Gore), the election of 1824 was the most controversial in American history.
background
By the 1820s, the United States was in a relatively calm and settled time period. The War of 1812 was fading into the background and the Missouri Compromise had put slavery issues on hold for the moment. A pattern of two-term presidents had developed in the early 1800s:
Thomas Jefferson (1800-1804, 1804-1808)
James Madison (1808-1812, 1812-1816)
James Monroe (1816-1820, 1820-1824)
Thomas Jefferson (1800-1804, 1804-1808)
James Madison (1808-1812, 1812-1816)
James Monroe (1816-1820, 1820-1824)
candidates
1. John Quincy Adams: had served as the Secretary of State under James Monroe since 1817. Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe had all been secretaries of state before they became presidents.
2. Andrew Jackson: following his victory at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815 during the War of 1812, Jackson became a larger-than-life American hero. He was elected as a senator from Tennessee in 1823 and immediately wanted to position himself to become president.
3. Henry Clay: Speaker of the House of Representatives, he was a major politician of his day. He pushed the Missouri Compromise through Congress, which had temporarily solved the issue of slavery. Clay had a particular advantage that if many candidates ran and none received a majority in the Electoral College, the election would be decided by the House of Representatives, where he wielded great power.
4. William H. Crawford: was a major political figure from Georgia, having served as a senator and then Secretary of Treasury under James Madison. Was considered a strong candidate for the election of 1824, but suffered a stroke in 1823 that rendered him paralyzed and unable to speak. Despite that, some politicians still supported his candidacy.
2. Andrew Jackson: following his victory at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815 during the War of 1812, Jackson became a larger-than-life American hero. He was elected as a senator from Tennessee in 1823 and immediately wanted to position himself to become president.
3. Henry Clay: Speaker of the House of Representatives, he was a major politician of his day. He pushed the Missouri Compromise through Congress, which had temporarily solved the issue of slavery. Clay had a particular advantage that if many candidates ran and none received a majority in the Electoral College, the election would be decided by the House of Representatives, where he wielded great power.
4. William H. Crawford: was a major political figure from Georgia, having served as a senator and then Secretary of Treasury under James Madison. Was considered a strong candidate for the election of 1824, but suffered a stroke in 1823 that rendered him paralyzed and unable to speak. Despite that, some politicians still supported his candidacy.
what went down
The United States Constitution dictates that a candidate needs to win a majority in the Electoral College in order to win the presidential election. In the election of 1824, NO ONE met the majority. Therefore, the election had to be decided by the House of Representatives. In an odd twist, Henry Clay (who would have had the biggest advantage in the House of Representatives), was automatically eliminated because the Constitution says that only the top three candidates are to be considered in this situation and he received the fewest Electoral votes of the 4 candidates (even fewer than the stroke-stricken Crawford!)
In early January, 1824, John Quincy Adams invited Henry Clay to visit him in his home where the men spoke for several hours. No one knows exactly what went on, but in February 1824, the House of Representatives had their election for president. Henry Clay then made it well-known that he supported Adams, and thanks to Clay’s influence, Adams won the election in the House and became the 6th president.
In early January, 1824, John Quincy Adams invited Henry Clay to visit him in his home where the men spoke for several hours. No one knows exactly what went on, but in February 1824, the House of Representatives had their election for president. Henry Clay then made it well-known that he supported Adams, and thanks to Clay’s influence, Adams won the election in the House and became the 6th president.
the corrupt bargain
Andrew Jackson, already famous for his temper, was furious at the results. He grew even more furious when it was announced that John Quincy Adams had selected Henry Clay to be his Secretary of State! Jackson denounced this whole scheme as the “corrupt bargain" that Adams had agreed to make Clay his secretary of state in exchange for his backing in the House. Jackson was so angry that he resigned his position as Senator. He returned to Tennessee and begun planning his campaign that would make him president four years later, in 1828. Jackson would go on to serve two terms and would begin an era of strong political parties in America.
Having lost to Jackson in the election if 1828, JQA would return to Massachusetts and would be elected to the House of Representatives in 1830, where he would serve 17 years in Congress and became a strong advocate against slavery.
Henry Clay went on to run for president two more times – he never won.
Having lost to Jackson in the election if 1828, JQA would return to Massachusetts and would be elected to the House of Representatives in 1830, where he would serve 17 years in Congress and became a strong advocate against slavery.
Henry Clay went on to run for president two more times – he never won.