The election of 1824 was fractious to say the least. In a very important way, it was a defining moment in the evolution of our Constitutional democracy because it pitted the old, Eastern Establishment represented by Adams against the new, Western Anti-Establishment represented by Jackson. The stakes for both interets were high, and though Adams would win this first "Bout at the Ballot Box" against Jackson, he would most certainly NOT win the second time around (the election of 1828) because of the unleashing of what we have come to call "Modern Political Campaigning."
Discuss the historical and literary context for what has come to be called "The Corrupt Bargain" that settled this election in the House of Representatives rather than at the ballot box. Make use of the literature of the time to elucidate the American experience of politics at the time to help contextualize the historical information.
DUE DATE: Friday, October 26, 2012 by midnight
Word Count: 300 words minimum
The election of 1824
http://presidentelect.org/e1824.html
The election of 1824
http://www.270towin.com/1824_Election/
The "Corrupt Bargain" of 1824
http://www.ushistory.org/us/23d.asp
Wikipedia article on election of 1824
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1824
47 comments:
The election of 1812 was a huge historical election that forever changed politics. The election was the first time that no candidate ran as a federalist. Instead, they all competed as Democratic-Republicans. The candidates were four, well known politicians by the names of John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William Harris Crawford, and Henry Clay. The one who one the popular vote and the electoral vote out of these four candidates, was Andre Jackson. The election of 1812 obviously obstructed the powered of any other political party since the only party that was able to be chosen was the Democratic - Republican Party.
Even though Andrew Jackson won most o the Electoral College votes, they were not counted since he did not win the majority of the votes as did the either of the other candidates. The decision of office went to the power of The House Of Representatives. The options for office were between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams since they had the most votes. The decision of these men’s future was in the hands of Henry Clay. Henry clay, the speaker of The House Of Representatives, was involved in the “corrupt bargain” Henry Clay was the man who led the harshest attacks against Jackson. Henry wanted nothing more than to see Jackson loose the presidential race. So Henry forged an Ohio Valley - New England coalition that secured the White House for John Quincy Adams. Deemed by Andrew Jackson’s supporters, Henry Clay was accused of corrupt bargain. This was proof of a so called “Adams-Clay” alliance. This alliance had the reputation of being a corrupt system of where privileged insiders pursued their own interests without including the will of the people.
The election of 1812 resulted in the falling of Republican-Federalist political framework. It showed how corrupt politics can be and that elections can result in corruptness and lies.
In the early nineteenth century, the Election of 1824 brought a surprising “tie” and several roars of protests after its results, being called the “Corrupt Bargain”. With a tie between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson, even though Jackson possessed more votes, a vote in the House of Representatives pronounced Adams as the new President because of the twelfth Amendment in order to break the tie. This decision then changed the system of American political campaigning as a result; forever establishing new routes politicians had to take in order to earn the Presidency. Three important factors that established this change were: first, the result of the Twelfth Amendment ruining Jackson’s premature victory; second, the political agreements between John Q. Adams and Henry Clay that gave this election’s results it name as a “corrupt bargain”; third, the support of the common people for Jackson that brought uproar in the U.S. population.
Many important factors of the Election of 1824 influenced its outcome, especially the Constitution. The Twelfth Amendment of the United States determined a tie between Presidential candidates by a vote in the House of Representatives, which is why Adams won as a result. Had not the Twelfth Amendment been ratified, Andrew Jackson and Adams could possibly have been together in the presidency. As a result, decisions of the U.S. Executive government could have caused bitter internal fights with Adams’ nationalistic aristocracy views and Jackson’s sectionalist views. The Presidential Election of 1824’s name as the “Corrupt Bargain” because of the secret meeting between Speaker of the House Henry Clay and John Q. Adams; the meeting helped give Adams support in the House votes and Clay the position of Secretary of State. Adams victory shocked both Jackson and Jacksonians alike, resulting in an uproar condemning the results as being a “corrupt bargain”. The political party system definitely showed it was supported by a spoils system approach by giving Clay Secretary of State. Such action would become a considered strategy for future elections to come. Jackson’s position as “the people’s man” greatly gained him support with his rise from the lower levels of Southern society to a war hero to the presidency. Such social support brought major social uproars within much of the people after hearing of such an apparently “corrupt” vote. This zealous support destroyed any chance of Adams continuing for another term in the next four years, though he committed no wrong actions. This shows that the majority thought of the people would tend to believe in anything they hear to gain a man who knew the people into the presidency, and the old view of aristocracy as the head o f the nation had been wiped clean out as a result. Therefore, this election proved to show a major change in many courses of actions, including the course of political campaigning, political policies, and the social support in it.
Olivia Brophy
Periods 3 & 4
The election of 1824 presented an as-yet-unseen rivalry in the American political arena. With the massive westward growth of the country, politicians such as Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay rose from the midst of pioneers, and tensions grew between the established eastern and the fledgling western politicians, which came to a head with the “Corrupt Bargain”. Firstly, Henry Clay’s personal dislike of Andrew Jackson interfered with the social idea of a “common man” candidate, which Jackson represented; Secondly, Clay’s position in the House of Representatives allowed him to ensure the passage of his own policies by overruling the people’s decision. Thus, the social and political feelings of the American public in the election of 1824 were both negated by Henry Clay’s ability to wield his power in a way to ensure that his own ambitions were met.
The election of 1824 took place in the midst of the Era of the Common Man (1815-1840). During this time, the American people grew increasingly hungry for political candidates, such as Andrew Jackson, that were reflective of the ideals of the “common man”, but who remained steadfast amongst the sea of deceit and corruption that was, they believed, politics. The literature of this time, such as “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving, is clearly representative of this. In this story, the main character is corrupted by the Devil, who could very well represent American politics. The American public wanted a character who understood what they were facing and who could protect them from such corruption. This, however, created a major problem for the established eastern politicians, such as John Quincy Adams. Henry Clay, who already didn’t approve of Andrew Jackson for president, also supported policies similar to those of Adams, and wanted to ensure that those policies were approved. As Speaker of the House during the session devoted to determining a victor between Jackson and Adams, Clay used his power to counteract the will of the people through the “Corrupt Bargain”, in which he secured his previous electoral votes, and therefore the presidency, for Adams.
In post-War of 1812 America, as in the time directly succeeding the Revolutionary War, there was still the fear that a big government would evolve into a monarchy. This, coupled with his icy and “elitist” demeanor, may have been what cost John Quincy Adams the presidency. This is the fear that caused the election of George Washington for the first president – because he had no sons, George Washington was left without an heir. John Quincy Adams, the son of the second president, John Adams, had three sons. This may have caused the American public to realize that the Adams family could very well become the first royal family of the United States of America. However, the immense amount of power that Henry Clay was given when the election was thrown into the House of Representatives allowed him to overrule the fears of the people. This overruling was done, allegedly, through Clay ensuring that his supporters in the Electoral College gave their support to Adams, in exchange for Clay’s appointing to the position of Secretary of State.
Through the immense amount of power that he was given as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Henry Clay was able to disregard the social and political beliefs of the voting public in the United States during the election of 1824 in order to make sure that his own policies were supported.
In the 18th century politics was slowly evolving but also it was becoming more corrupt. When political men got in office with help from others many times this caused corruption. If a political candidate rose to power with help from others he tended to put some of the people that helped him into offices of power; political leaders gain the presidency by mudslinging; and if a political leader felt threatened near the end of his term he would frantically start putting more of his party into offices of power.
First off when political leaders rose to power with the help of others they tend to put them in offices of power like in congress or in the case with clay who, when john Adams and Jefferson neither won the presidency to which the house of representatives would decide who would win the presidency, would decide who won. He made a deal with Adams, the deal was that if he gave the presidency to Adams that Adams would put clay as his secretary of state. This backfired on both of them and was near instantly called the corrupt bargain.
Another way a political candidate got to be president was by a political strategy called mud slinging. Mudslinging is when two or more candidates start figuring true or not facts about the other and publishing against them or in debates they would bring it up until they “bury” the other candidate in “mud”. This worked in Jacksons favor the second time around when he got to use Adams “corrupt bargain” against him. I believe that this was a factor in Jackson getting elected the next time he ran for office.
A Way political leaders protected themselves and their party was by putting a ton of their own party in positions of power. John Adams did this in the last few months of his presidency for example he put 6 judges in different courts in the years leading up to his reelection run.
In the election of 1824, the president was decided behind closed doors. Not how the Founding Fathers had intended. There were four candidates for president. Andrew Jackson, Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and William Crawford. Andrew Jackson won both the electoral college (e.c) and the popular vote. Narrowly beating John Q. Adams. However, Jackson did note have 270 e.c votes needed to become president. He just beat the other candidates. The decision was sent to the House of Representatives and have them vote. The House was only allowed to choose from the top three candidates, eliminating Clay. Ironically, Clay was the speaker of the House, overlooking the chamber that would decide the president. As the speaker of the House and a very influential man, Clay could persuade the House to pick the candidate of his choosing. Clay hated Jackson and did not want a “military chieftain” for president. So behind closed doors, Clay told Adams of his support. Using his influential prowess, Clay was able to convince the House to elect Adams president. A few days after the event Clay was announced as the new Secretary of state. A very prominent position in those days. Almost always leading to a position the White House or presidency. Jacksonian supporters this as the infamous “corrupt bargain.” Believing that Adams had asked for Clay’s support and in return Adams would give clay the job as Secretary of state. This belief of a corrupt deal is much like the story “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving and released the same year as the election. One of the themes of the stories is the corruption of man and his desire to acquire power quickly. Even if he has to make a deal with the devil. Since the release of this story was so soon after the election, people made a connection with the two and saw the corruption in humanity. While the “corrupt bargain” was not as corrupt as some make it out to be, but the theme of “The Devil and Tom Walker” makes a very valid point: The first thing on humans minds is to get power quickly.
Cammie Gelbuda
Period 1 & 4
The election of 1824 was decided behind closed doors. Not how many people thought this would be decided, because normally the people get to vote, but because this was so close, they had to give it to the house to decide. There were four runners up were, Andrew Jackson, Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and William Crawford. Andrew won both electoral votes and the popular votes. Andrew Jackson did not have the whole 270 votes to become president of the United States. He beat the other constants Quincy Adams, Henry Clay and William Crawford. The decision for the President of the United States was the decision for the House of Representatives. They could only choose the top three, so someone would be out of luck, and that was Henry Clay. Henry Clay was the one who watched over, the ones who chooses the president. Clay disliked Andrew Jackson, and did not want him to become president. Henry Clay told Quincy Adams that he gave him, his full support and would do anything in his power to help him win president. . Clay was able to tell the house to pick Adams for President. A few days later, Clay was declared a new Secretary of State. Jacksonianism supporters this as the infamous. Even though Adams as Clay for his full support and in order for Adams to pay Clay back he would give him the job. This is like a story called “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving. Just like Tom Walker when he makes the deal with the devil, this is the same as Clay and Adams. Because this story was released around the same time as the election many people found the connection between them both. The book makes a very good point for Clay and Adams and the “Devil and Tom Walker.”
Samantha Nicolas, Period 6
In the presidential election of 1824, political complications surfaced within the Democratic-Republican party. The fierce race between two of its running members, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson, gave rise to critical developments that landed the election in the House of Representatives, where the struggle was finalized by the event known as the “Corrupt Bargain.” First, by opening up democracy to the common man, Jackson placed a great amount of stress not only on other “common” westerners upon entering the realm of politics but also on society’s social elites; second, Henry Clay’s profound influence as a holder of a very significant government position did much to sway the outcome of the election in the way he preferred. Thus, it was social and political reasons that created the decisive circumstances that eventually resulted in the Corrupt Bargain.
An important feature of the1824 election was that it pitted the “common man,” as represented by Jackson, against the “elites” of society, who were represented by Adams. Many of the upper-class men tended to side with Adams, mainly agreeing with his policies while also seeking to maintain their top position in the social hierarchy, for Jackson’s “common man” ideals would jeopardize their status in the community. However, commoners making up the majority of the population wanted to see a candidate who was more like them, more on their level – they didn’t want another socially high-ranking man who would overlook their particular needs and instead turn his attention towards the wealthy. In addition, during this time period, politics were considered to corrupt the minds of all participators, as depicted in the literary work “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving, in which the common man named Tom Walker is corrupted by fraternizing with the devil, who is believed to represent the world of politics. It was this perspective of politics that drove the majority of the population to vote for Jackson, whom they believed could help guard them against corruption since Jackson was a common man himself.
Henry Clay played a big role towards the end of this election. Although initially running for the office of president, Clay was cut out of the race when no candidate received a majority of electoral votes after all the votes were cast. The decision then fell to the House of Representatives, who were assigned to choose from the top three candidates, which didn’t include Clay. However, it just so happened that Clay was also the Speaker of the House, which gave him a direct line to control the voting verdict. Being a rival of Jackson, Clay threw his support towards Adams instead and Adams won the presidency, which clearly revealed the political manipulating that took place in the election. This bothered many American minds because the people feared a monarchial government. With the President of the United States being John Quincy Adams, son of former president John Adams, a trend of only one family presiding over the country was beginning to show itself, and this political concern led to the distrust of Adams along with his newly appointed Secretary of State, Henry Clay.
Thanks to these social and political reasons, John Quincy Adam’s career was pretty much culminated by the so-called “Corrupt Bargain,” and because of it, Jackson would be given more room to pull ahead of his political rival.
There were four men running for the position of President of the United States in of 1824 but the election was more about the candidates' personalities and supporters fighting for their candidate than important national issues. There had been a one party system (The Federalists) but they all struck out on their own. Later, a group led by Andrew Jackson would develop into the Democratic Party, while the supporters led by John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay would become the National Republican Party. In this election all the presidential and vice presidential candidates were from the same party and all had served in government positions in the past.
John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts had served as a minister to the Netherlands, Prussia, Russia and Britain, a U.S. Senator, and as President Monroe's Secretary of State. Andrew Jackson of Tennessee Besides had military experience and also served as a U.S. Representative, a U.S. Senator, and a state judge. William Crawford of Georgia had served as a U.S. Senator, a minister to France, and was also both President Jefferson and President Monroe's Secretary of the Treasury. Henry Clay of Kentucky had served as a state legislator, a U.S Senator, and a U.S. Representative.
A controversy came about when the votes were tallied and nobody had received a majority of votes in the Electoral College so the House of Representatives had to choose between the top two candidates. Henry Clay, the speaker of the House of Representatives, (as the rules of the constitution stated) now held the position of making the decision. He hated Jackson and voted for John Quincy Adams. Adams named Clay as his secretary of state, a position that had been the stepping-stone to the presidency for the previous four presidents.
Jackson's supporters were upset and claimed that the will of the people had been ignored since he had won the popular vote, (ignoring the fact that the popular vote was not a true gauge of what the people wanted.) "Corrupt Bargain" was claimed by Jackson supporters who believed their man had been robbed of the presidency. The Adams-Clay union implied a corrupt system where elite insiders pursued their own interests without seeking the will of the people. The Jackson supporters would campaign on this claim for the next four years and win the victory for Jackson in the Adams-Jackson rematch in 1828.
.
The election of 1824 brought about a major outcry to a development in the corruption of politics. The so dubbed “Corrupt Bargain” occurred between a tie in presidential electoral ballots between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. With the voting at a standstill, power turned to The House Of Representatives, and in exchange for power voted Adams as president. This presidential uproar occurred due to three reasons: First, the existence of the twelfth amendment was a key part in preventing Jackson’s victory; Secondly Clay’s personal antagonism with Jackson; Thirdly the deal made between Clay and Adams that gave the act its name.
Of the reasons for this occurrence to have happened, the most existential is due to The Constitution. Due to the tie in voting the Twelfth Amendment demanded that the voting to be then turned over to The House Of Representatives, facilitating the whole act. The current speaker of the house, Henry Clay, still resented and was steaming over his previous defeat to Jackson. Refusing to give in and allow his enemy this important position, he needed to find another choice. That option came to him. Scrambling to assure his victory Adams went to clay in an attempt to “assure” his victory. He acted by offering to reward Clay with the position of Secretary of State in exchange for guaranteeing Clay’s victory in the House. Seeing the opportunity to not only spite his rival, but to also gain some of the power and status he desperately fought for, Clay convinced the house to vote for Adams. Adams, now the sixth president of The United States, stuck true to his word and granted Clay the position. Although the Jacksonians were furious by the corruption and bribery of the new president, they could do little to the new President and Secretary of State.
The election of 1824, aptly named the "corrupt bargain" by Jackson's supporters, was a strange election in that Jackson had the most popular and electoral votes, although, he lost to John Quincy Adams when the vote went to the House, due to the fact that no one had enough electoral votes to win majority. This "corrupt bargain" was monumental in showing that Jackson, who supported the common man and his vote could almost win and would have, had the vote not gone to the House. A great shift in the America was set in motion by this election which was a result of and resulted in many different factors. First, what emerged out of the election is a huge shift in political allegiances and a shift in the very nature of politics at this time, no longer would there be the politics of Washington’s day, the new era would be the era of modern politics; second, the election showed the social shift of America at this time, the power was being shifted from the rich few to the growing middle and lower classes; third, the corrupt bargain was a result of all of the political ties in the system at this time, which after this would be overhauled with the ultimate support of candidates being given to the common man, and thus the era of Democracy is born. Thus, because of the political, and social reasons the election of 1824 resulted in the “era of the common man” and the birth of modern America.
Politically there was a vast shift as a result of the election. The election showed that the Democratic - Republican Party was not invincible, as shown by Jackson, who was an under-dog, almost beating them. This show of force resulted in a shift of political allegiances, as politicians saw that the future of the nation was no longer in the elitist Democratic-Republicans but in the Jacksonian-Democrats who supported and more importantly had the support of the common man. This shift resulted in the birth of modern day politics, as this election was the birth of modern political campaigning, and was the first real “hugely” contested election. This election signaled the death of the old forms of “politicking” in which it was all about who you knew (as shown was shown in this corrupt bargain) and the birth of where it was how you appealed to the common people, because as much as the past presidents would hate to admit it, a poor common man has the same amount of power in the vote as a multi-millionaire (under the constitution). Modern day politics were now more about appealing to the majority of people instead of the elitist minority. This was a huge shift in political thinking, as the common people realized that their vote counted for something and the politicians realized this too, much to their horror. This mirrored what was going on socially during this time, in which the power soon shifted from the upper class to the lower and middle classes. This shows how the U.S. was functioning how it was intended to, with the people, changing and shifting the political scene.
In conclusion the “corrupt bargain” or election of 1824 was instrumental in changing the U.S,’s political and social structuring; it successfully shifted the power from the upper class to the lower and middle classes.
-Christian Filbrun
Beckett Lee
Periods 3 and 4
In early 19th century America, the modern American political system began to take root. Democracy was just beginning to spread to all Americans, rather than just the political elites of the east, and the consequences would change America. First, a dramatic increase in communication and transportation abilities during this time allowed politicians, political parties, and political messages to travel faster and farther to reach the American people and get votes; second, the fall of the Federalist Party and the rise of the Democratic-Republican Party led to democracy aimed at the common people being the primary way to get votes and win elections; third, the involvement of the common man in politics led to the splitting of Americans along party lines and the “corruption” of formerly uninvolved Americans. The creation of modern politics during the time of the “corrupt bargain” resulted in a new dynamic in the American political system.
Improvements in American transportation and communication systems dramatically increased the effect of politics on the common people. Railroads, expansion of the frontiers, and the invention of the telegraph in 1837 allowed political messages to be spread across America to more people than was ever possible before. For the first time, many Americans were able to receive up to date information on politics and their party’s standings and policies.
The fall of the Federalist Party eliminated a lot of the influence that the elite eastern politicians had. Many of the American “aristocrats” had been members of the Federalist Party. The taint of association ended much of their influence in American politics. After the fall of the Federalist Party, America needed a new demographic to turn its elections upon. This new demographic was already under the control of the Democratic-Republicans. This gave Andrew Jackson an automatic advantage over his opponents in his strong affiliation with a popular party. He set the precedent that the way to appeal to voters is to depict oneself as a common man. This would revolutionize American politics and be the way to win votes to present day.
The common man’s introduction to politics profoundly changed American society. One’s political affiliation became a part of one’s character. People formed prejudices about each other based on their party. These sociological developments also affected American writing. Stories like “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Devil and Tom Walker” arose with stains of the new American culture written with the ink in their pages. The story of Young Goodman Brown depicts an innocent man, representing the American people, being converted by the devil, representing American politicians, to surrender his faith and dignity to become a part of the “witch party.” This clearly shows the opinion of some that Americans were slowly sinking into the cutthroat, “devilish,” and “corrupting” system of American politics that created and resulted from the “corrupt bargain” and the “spoils system.” American politics changed for the “good of the people” as a result of the “corrupt bargain.” The common man’s initiation into politics has drastically affected both American politics and American society.
In the election of 1824 nothing was clear. There were many people running against each other but they were all supposedly supposed to have the same ideas, procedures and practices because of their previous political alliances and their outspoken party affiliations (ushistory.org). There were two clear Historical and Literary reasons that led up to this confusion and consequently the political event known now as the “Corrupt Bargain.” Firstly, the evolution of the American and pre-American Greco-Roman literature had reached a peak that supported and empowered the lower class, the common man; Secondly, the historical context and politics of the time favored the wealthy, rich, white, male land-owners of the time; this obviously created the conflict that caused the confusion of the 1820’s.
Literarily, American society had grown and developed into a state that empowered and established “Everyman” as more than just the ones affected by a government, it developed them into the ones that control the government. Because of the historical medieval play, Everyman and its reincarnation in the short story by Washington Irving, ‘The Devil and Tom Walker,’ the mentality of this time was definitely the empowerment of the Common Man hence the historical name of this time “The Era of the Common Man.” Thus, it is then reasonable to assume that there would be a champion of the common man, someone that would use their traits to try and portray himself as the most common man, that man was Andrew Jackson. But, politically these were hard times for America and although Jackson won both the popular vote and more electoral votes than any of the other candidates he did not win. This is because historically America was at a point where rich white land-owning men were the ones in power and what Jackson said he believed was a threat to their elitist ways. Therefore through what is now known as the “corrupt bargain” John Adams became president.
Tristan Mauricio
Periods 1&6
In the early nineteenth century an event that would change politics and impact the United States so profoundly would occur. This event was the Presidential Election of 1824 between four candidates, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William H. Crawford, and Henry Clay who were in an intense competition for the Presidency and the man who had won would force future candidates to put a lot of effort to win over the public. First, this election would intensify future competition for the Presidency; second, it was the first example of how corrupt politicians could be; and lastly, the consequences of this election would affect the United States immensely. This event in American history was so profound that it put a new spin on American Politics.
The election itself was unlike any seen before or what would be seen in the future, for one it was the first time a Presidential election would not have a Federalist candidate and all of the men running for the presidency were all of the same political party. What made this election so important was the intensity and the results of it. You had your first examples of mudslinging which would shape how politicians are seen today. Two of the candidates represented two different backgrounds, Andrew Jackson was bringing the new Western culture to the table with new ideas and John Quincy Adams was of a line of the aristocratic Eastern politicians but both had put all they had into it.
All four of the candidates were very popular but none of them had enough electoral votes to get the majority and since you can’t have four Presidents something had to be done. The result of the election was not called the “Corrupt Bargain” for nothing, supposedly Henry Clay had given his votes to John Quincy Adams which gave him the presidency and in return Adams made Clay his Secretary of State. The public was outraged and as a result the ideal President would have to be won over by the public to get to the White House.
The frustration with the House of Representatives was the first example of public displeasure with American politics as shown in the frustration of the Jacksonians. The public realized that they had not trusted the people they out into office as much as they should have and the job of the President would become more difficult. The standards of a President would change and bring around what we know as “Modern Political Campaigning”.
Tristan Mauricio
Periods 1&6
In the early nineteenth century an event that would change politics and impact the United States so profoundly would occur. This event was the Presidential Election of 1824 between four candidates, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William H. Crawford, and Henry Clay who were in an intense competition for the Presidency and the man who had won would force future candidates to put a lot of effort to win over the public. First, this election would intensify future competition for the Presidency; second, it was the first example of how corrupt politicians could be; and lastly, the consequences of this election would affect the United States immensely. This event in American history was so profound that it put a new spin on American Politics.
The election itself was unlike any seen before or what would be seen in the future, for one it was the first time a Presidential election would not have a Federalist candidate and all of the men running for the presidency were all of the same political party. What made this election so important was the intensity and the results of it. You had your first examples of mudslinging which would shape how politicians are seen today. Two of the candidates represented two different backgrounds, Andrew Jackson was bringing the new Western culture to the table with new ideas and John Quincy Adams was of a line of the aristocratic Eastern politicians but both had put all they had into it.
All four of the candidates were very popular but none of them had enough electoral votes to get the majority and since you can’t have four Presidents something had to be done. The result of the election was not called the “Corrupt Bargain” for nothing, supposedly Henry Clay had given his votes to John Quincy Adams which gave him the presidency and in return Adams made Clay his Secretary of State. The public was outraged and as a result the ideal President would have to be won over by the public to get to the White House.
The frustration with the House of Representatives was the first example of public displeasure with American politics as shown in the frustration of the Jacksonians. The public realized that they had not trusted the people they out into office as much as they should have and the job of the President would become more difficult. The standards of a President would change and bring around what we know as “Modern Political Campaigning”.
In America, in the election of 1824, there would be a decision made by the House of Representatives and it was mostly between Adams and Jackson. What was at stake was the chance to be president of the United States. Adams would take this position through the "Corrupt Bargain", Adams would "cheat" his way to the presidency. Clay also ran for the presidency but came in last in the electoral votes. However, he was the speaker of the House of Representatives. Jackson received a narrow victory over Adams in electoral college votes. So the decision would go to the House of Representatives, and Clay lead very strong attacks against Jackson in the election. Clay secured the position for Adams, for he did not want Jackson in the White House. In return Adams would give Clay the position secretary of state. This was the corrupt bargain. It would be barely beneficial, however. In this same year, The Devil and Tom Walker would be written. This book could represent how there is a power thirst, and the government is the cause. For Jackson and Adams both wanted power, and Adams and Clay struck a corrupt deal, which led to "riches" for the both of them. These riches were nothing more than a place of power in the government, but in the end almost nothing was beneficial, just as the plot in the book. So in conclusion the corrupt bargain had nothing beneficial, but it caused a very intense election in 1828, however Adams would not be re-elected.
The election of 1824 was quite significant considering the fact that out of the four runners, not one of them were of the Federalist Party. The four runners, Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and William Harris Crawford, were all Democratic-Republican. Because of the absence of the Federalist Party, this election broke the ongoing political “fight” between the Federalists and Democrats. Though it seemed as though Jackson would surely become the sixth president with a leading 99 Electoral Votes followed by Adams with 84, the House of Representatives would have to decide the winner, because nobody had gotten a majority in the electoral college. Clay, being the speaker for the House, had the opportunity to decide the winning candidate. Clay, who loathed Jackson, saw this as his opportunity to get what he wants. Clay and Adams had gotten in cahoots and Clay had ensured the Presidents’ seat to Adams and, to return the favor, Adams, once elected, appointed Clay as his Secretary of State. Though this seemed to be fool proof and beneficial to both Clay and Adams, the moment this had began, Jackson and his followers labeled this as a “Corrupt Bargain”. In the eyes of Jackson and his followers, what had happened between Clay and Adams was just for the personal interests and benefits of the two, and not of the national interests and benefits of the people, which should be the main concern of the president. In the 1828 presidential campaign, it appears like the election had started before Adams had even given up the White House, as Jacksons’ followers were determined to not let the same thing happen again. The people had viewed Jackson as the champion of the common man, and saw his as someone who be more interested in the people’s concerns, than his own.
Missy Smith
Early 19th century America was when Democracy finally began to really become a part of the government and hold the most power than any other system. The Presidential Election of 1824 was between four candidates: John Q. Adams, Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson, and William H. Crawford. First, this election showed the corruption of politics even then; second, the “Corrupt Bargain” which is so aptly named; and third, the remarkable increase in contact and transport abilities during this time permitted politicians, political parties, and political mail to travel faster and farther to get votes. Thus, with these three items, the election of 1824 was an oddity in politics. The presidential election of 1824 is distinguished for being the only election since the passage of the Twelfth Amendment to have been decided by the House of Representatives in agreement with its provision to turn over the choice of the president to the House when no candidate secures a majority of the electoral vote. It was also the only presidential election in which the candidate who received the most electoral votes did not become president. Then it wasn’t the people who voted for President, but the government which goes directly against the constitution. Literary, the story’s Young Goodman Brown and The Devil and Tom Walker are representations of what happens when the government/politics corrupt the people. Supposedly Henry Clay had given his votes to John Quincy Adams which gave him the presidency and in return Adams made Clay his Secretary of State. The public was outraged and as a result the ideal President would have to be won over by the public to get to the White House. And thus, the Corrupt Bargain was born. With all the expansion that was going on at this time, and with the railroad being built letters were getting back and forth quicker than ever, making it easier for campaigning.
The election of 1824 was the final stand of Republican-Federalist politics, and the introduction of “Modern Political Campaigning” in the American political arena. As John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson campaigned for the presidency, a deep struggle between Eastern Establishment and Western Anti-Establishment became distinguished, and the election ended in what has come to be called “The Corrupt Bargain” for several reasons. First, Henry Clay and Jackson’s opponents despised Andrew Jackson for his support of the “common man,” a view that the Eastern aristocracy spurned; second, Henry Clay took advantage of his position in the House of Representatives to feed his political policies and ambitions, by overruling the will of the people. Thus, social and political factors determined the election of 1824, and they caused the “The Corrupt Bargain.”
The election of 1824 offset the match between the commoners represented by Jackson, and the aristocracy represented by Adams. To the Eastern elites, a Jackson victory would undermine their prestige, and they worried it could jeopardize their social hierarchy. But since commoners accounted for the majority of the population, the aristocracy was at a disadvantage, because the commoners preferred leaders who could relate to them, who were like them, and who could make the government more democratic. This is where “Modern Political Campaigning” really made a footprint, as winning elections put less emphasis on political connections, and more weight on appealing to the majority of society, the lower and middle classes. Also, many people believed in the corrupting power of politics, seen in the literary work “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving. In the novel, the main character Tom Walker is corrupted by associating with the devil, who is a representation of American politics. This perception of politics in the early nineteenth century was most-likely a driving factor to vote for Andrew Jackson, who many believed, would fight corruption in the government. But nonetheless, these ideas would be attacked by politicians like Henry Clay.
Henry Clay, the speaker of the House of Representatives during the 1824 election, was at the center of “The Corrupt Bargain.” In the election, the winner of the electoral college was technically Andrew Jackson, but none of the candidates received a majority of the electoral votes, so the House of Representatives had two choose between Jackson and Adams. This gave Clay an opportunity to change history, since he wielded the power to persuade the voting verdict. Already despising Jackson as a rival candidate with sharp political contrasts, Clay forged an Ohio Valley-New England coalition which ensured an Adams victory. In return for the favor, Adams appointed Clay as his secretary of state. Obviously, many people saw this bargain as corrupt, and they painted the Adams administration as elites who pursued their own political ambitions while brushing aside the will of the people. As a result of “The Corrupt Bargain,” people became more in favor of Jackson’s policies; promoting the common man and further democratization in American politics.
Thus, social and political factors determined the result of the 1824 election, they caused “The Corrupt Bargain,” and they swayed the country’s identity toward a more equal and democratic society.
- From Josh
The political battle or even "war" in the election of 1824 shaped the USA and the way people would be elected. The candidates Adams, Jackson, Clay, and Crawford had duked it out in 1824 and because of the way Americans where getting into modern politics at the ballot box, the bargain with Adams and clay would be interpreted as "corrupt". First, such a deal wasnt against the rules, but the people thought of this tactic as corrupt; Second, Jackson used his "common man" status in order to leverage himself as a man who wouldn't be corrupt.
Sorry Mr. k, I can't get this whole thing done tonight, I'll get threat in hopefully tomorrow... :(
In the early 19th century, the 1824 presidential election and the “Corrupt Bargain” would set the stage for modern campaigning. There were four candidates running as Democratic-Republicans for president: John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, William H. Crawford, and Andrew Jackson. The Hero of the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson, was in the lead with 99 votes. In second place was John Quincy Adams, son of the second president and Monroe’s Secretary of State, with 84 votes. In third place was William H. Crawford with just 41 votes. Even though Jackson received most of the popular votes, no one held the majority of the Electoral College, so the House of Representatives had to decide between the top two candidates. Henry Clay, who was speaker of the House of Representatives, had a decisive role in this election. Clay had led some of the strongest campaign attacks against Jackson. Instead of allowing the presidency to go to Jackson, Clay forged an Ohio Valley-New England Coalition that ensured the presidency to go to Adams. In return Adams ensured Clay the position of his Secretary of State, which had been a stepping stone to presidency for the previous four executives. This agreement, which was quickly called the “Corrupt Bargain,” would prove to not be as beneficial as either person had hoped. The Adams-Clay alliance was a symbol of a corrupt system where political elites could pursue their own interests without caring for the will of the people. “The Devil and Tom Walker”(1824) written by Washington Irving, shows the greed of men and their desire to gain more power without having to do much work to get it. It didn’t take people long to make the connection between “The Devil and Tom Walker” and the “Corrupt Bargain.” Both the story and the event made people realize that times were changing.
In the election of 1824, all of the people running for President were Democrat-Republican and none were from the usual Federalists party. Because there were only candidates from the Democrat-Republican party, the fight between the Federalists and the Democrats had come to an end. Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams were the remaining two canadates near the end of the election. Jackson had 99 electoral votes and Adams had 84. Henry Clay was the speaker for The House of Representatives, and he strongly disliked Jackson, so much that he would do anything including cheating to make sure Jackson does not win the Presidency. In order for Clay to not let Jackson win the Presidency, he decided on making a deal with Adams. He would make sure that Adams would win the Presidency, but in return Adams must make Clay the Secretary of State. Word got out, and Jackson and his followers soon started calling their deal the “Corrupt Bargain”. The deal made between Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams was made with just one person in mind, themselves. Just like in the story The Devil and Tom Walker, Tom Walker didn’t care if what he was doing was right, by making people go bankrupt or not caring if they could pay him or not, he was always thinking about himself. Just like Clay and Adams were not thinking if making a deal would benefit the people of the U.S. or just themselves. During the next election in 1828 Jackson and his followers made sure that what happened last time with the “Corrupt Bargain” would not happen again.
The Election of 1824 brought about a new American political foundation. The new idea of a democracy was spreading throughout the states and the idea of common man having a huge say in government is what makes America stand out from the rest of the world.
Im clearly not done... I'll finish it tomorrow morning:)
During the election of 1824, politics in America had imploded on itself in terms of the Republican-Federalist frame of mind. At this point there had been no candidates running as Federalists, and two important candidates competed and stood out above the rest: Henry Clay, the speaker of the House of Representatives, and Andrew Jackson, the leader of the still-evolving Democratic Party. These two politically diverse opponents collided under something called the “Corrupt Bargain”. First, the socially held ideal of the “common man” made it especially difficult for Jacksonians to compete, giving him the incentive to lay claim to an “unfair advantage”; Second, both Henry Clay’s high status as a member of the House of Representatives and the power he held due to that very prestige, already paved a clear path to success; and third, the evolution of the House election came to be known through the absence of merely popular votes, significantly influencing the results. Thus, for social, political, and evolutionary reasons, the “Corrupt Bargain” made its way into a complex establishment of electoral votes and biases. First, the impression that the “common man” left on John Quincy Adam’s campaign was substantial, making Andrew Jackson appear as more of an old friend to the public rather than a competitor. Ironically enough, the Era was named after the event as the Era of the Common Man (1815-1840). Jackson was a prime example of what society viewed as a man of their own origin. Essentially, most people believed that because of Jackson’s roots, the corruption, pretenses, and administratively obscured interpretations of constitutionality would prove to be of lesser effect on him. One example of the strongly supported conviction of evils stemming straight from the heart of legislation is, “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving. In the tale, the protagonist, Tom Walker, is sullied morally by the Devil, and most likely is an implied depiction of the dangers politics present to one’s state of mind. Americans wished for a kind of superhero who would save them from this imminent threat. That man was to be none other than Andrew Jackson. However, the result of such high idealism ended in a huge loss for Adams, and a power Jackson already controlled aroused in him a great sensation of contempt. Still, through the “Corrupt Bargain” Clay’s authority attested itself even more prevalent than Jackson’s apparent lead (Jackson emerged victorious in the end though). Second, the stance that Clay held gave him the boost he needed to surpass the proof of Jackson’s electoral votes, and this was what caused the conflict in the first place. In the time ensuing the Revolutionary War there remained a widespread terror that the fate of the government was bound for monarchy. John Adams had three sons, conceivably being the cause of rising uncertainties. When this issue was brought to the attention of Henry Clay, he utilized his supremacy to pacify the majority of the anxiety. Consequentially confirming that Clay’s Electoral College factions reinforced the electorate votes for Jackson’s running mate Henry Clay, and in exchange, he requested to become the Secretary of State. And third, the essence of this bargain became the basis for all later forms of bias towards what is to be considered right and wrong. The political biases of the time period were exemplified primarily by the evolutionary aspect of what goes on behind the scenes of a conventional electoral consensus. The “Corrupt Bargain” showed just how unconventional things were at the time, since the successful candidate did not hold the popular vote for the first time. (Continued...)
(Continued from last post...) Despite this being the first time that the presidential election since the establishment of the Twelfth Amendment, (turning the vote over to the House when there is no widely held number of electoral votes) a scheme managed its way into an outcome no one quite expected, bringing about what we now experience often in modern political campaigning (such as cleverly misleading ads). Because of the public, administrative, and the developmental basis it held for future elections, the “Corrupt Bargain” shaped the 1824 election and eventually cemented present policies.
Edith Chavez
Periods 1 & 6
The presidential election of 1824 did not give the country the president that had been the most favored candidate but it did prove to be a major step in bringing about modern-day politics. Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, William Crawford, and Henry Clay all ran as Democratic-Republicans as the Federalist Party had dissolved the decade before; despite being from the same party- the only one that existed at the time- Jackson was very different from Adams in that he was the champion of the common man while Adams was seen to support the northeastern “elite” more. “The people” didn’t get the president most (not the majority though) wanted and so history has comes to see this election as corrupt; the literature of the time also reflected the feeling that many had about how dirty politics was. As a combination of the two, today the outcome of the election of 1824 is viewed as the result of the Corrupt Bargain.
Andrew Jackson would seem to be the most logical choice for president as he had gotten first place with 99 electoral votes while Adams had 84, Crawford had 41, and Clay was in fourth place with 37. However, since Jackson only had the most and not the majority the House of Representatives could have to decide the winner. Henry Clay just so happened to be the Speaker of the house at this time and he gave up his electoral votes to Adams and thereby making Adams President. Supporters of Jackson were infuriated especially because Clay was given the position of Secretary of State. The actions came to be known as the Corrupt Bargain which painted a dirty picture of politics that was even reflected in the literature of the time. The same year as the election a short story by Washington Irving was published, titled “The Devil and Tom Walker”. The story showed an innocent, common man getting corrupted by what appears to be the devil as well as by all the people around him that have gotten into politics. It shows how politics beguiles the common man into leaving behind all that is good. The election had a profound effect in that even today, politics is often viewed as a profane matter.
Amanda Jerd
Dustin McCoy
p.3 & 4
The elections of 1824 known as the “corrupt bargain” by many Jackson’s supporters this was one of the strangest elections the United States had ever seen due to the fact that all the presidential and vice presidential candidates were from the same party. The tie between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams the House of Representatives despite the fact Jackson received more votes, pronounced Adams as the new president of the United States to break the tie between the two candidates. This event helped to change the whole political campaigning system. First as a result to this a huge change in the American political allegiances was set into place by this very election leaving behind the old political ways and making way for the modern day politics; second, this election helped make the shift of power between the different classes; third, the “corrupt bargain” resulted in the political ties, which helped make way for Democracy. Furthermore, because of the election of 1824 it helped lead the country into a modern day campaigning.
There were several very important factors of the election of 1824 especially the influence of the constitution. In the constitution amendment 12 states that if there is ever a tie between two candidates that the House of Representatives will have to choose which candidate to pick. If this amendment had never been put in place we would have had two presidents or a whole re vote between all of the states which could of taken weeks. The election of 1824 got its name as the “corrupt bargain” from the meetings between the house speaker Henry Clay and John Q Adams; which as a result gave Adams a voice in the house and more House votes. This strategy from Adams would later become a system used by other future candidates. Adams opposite Jackson who has respect from all of the lower southern states which he gained support from for being a war hero. Because of Jackson losing to Adams it set of many people in protest and shock because everyone was positive that Jackson would win. Because of the “corrupt vote” Jackson will not be able to be president again. This just clearly shows that a man who appears to be perfect and knows just want the people want to hear who is able to befriend people in the House of Representatives could despite what the people think get the unpopular vote. This electron therefore shows that the U.S. was doing what had to be done and with it changing how the political campaigning and policies were done.
Annika Newman
Periods 1 & 4
In the election of 1824, both presidential candidates were assigned to the Democratic-Republican party, resulting in a complicated political entanglement. The vicious election between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson escalated crucial developments that forced the House of Representatives to determine the conflict in an affair known as the “Corrupt Bargain.” First, the Twelfth Amendment played a key role in obstructing Jackson's success in the election; second, Henry Clay's influential political role had much ascendancy over the election's outcome; and thirdly, the engagement of the common man in political elections led to corruption amongst the previously uninvolved citizens. Thus, for constitutional, political, and social reasons, the birth of whole new type of campaigning evolved in the early nineteenth century.
The Twelfth Amendment provided a new system for electing the president and vice president. It states the standards for what should happen in the case of a non-majority vote amongst the candidates. Because of the tie between Jackson and Adams in the election of 1824, the Twelfth Amendment allowed the House of Representatives to make the tough decision of who would become president of the United States.
Henry Clay, the speaker of the House of Representatives, had an enormous role in choosing the President of the United States during this election. It was argued by Jacksonians that John Quincy Adams unjustly bought Henry Clay's electoral votes by appointing him Secretary of State. Therefore, the election of John Quincy Adams as president by Henry Clay was known as the “Corrupt Bargain.”
A shift of power from the wealthy to the common man evolved during this time, allowing the middle class to vote and have political preferences. However, the exposure of politics into common society caused a widespread corruption among the people. The pollution of the common man brought about in the election of 1824 is depicted in the short story “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, in which an innocent man, symbolizing the American people, is morally degraded by the devil, representing the government.
Bella Crosson
Period 1&4
In the beginning of the nineteenth century the Election of 1824 brought an unexpected tie along with several protests regarding the results. This event was later known as the Corrupt Bargain. The tie was between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams. Adams was chosen for the presidency, even though Jackson was the one who possessed the greatest number of votes. This election both changed the American political campaign system and created the new routes and challenges the upcoming politicians would have to face. Three very important factors that made this change happen were: first, the support for Jackson by the “common” people bringing on an uproar among the entire populace; second, the Twelfth Amendment ruining Jackson’s rightfully owned victory; and third, the alliance between Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams that influenced the election and gave it it’s all too familiar nickname. Thus, for social, political, and economic reasons, the Election of 1824 brought great changes the deeply affected American government.
Andrew Jackson was greatly admired in American society, and he was know as the “people’s man.” This was not the only thing that helped him gain his needed support, however. His rise to power from a lowly citizen from a Southern society to a war hero and eventually the President became a link between him and every other common man in the Untied States. This same social support significantly backed Jackson up when the news of an apparently corrupt election was spread. This uproar affected not only the reputation of the American election system but also the popularity of J. Q. Adams, for he was unable to get another term. This shows a certain bias among the populations, for they leaned toward a man who they could relate to, completely destroying the old outlook of a “head of the nation” position.
The American Constitution also played a great role in the Election of 1824. The Twelfth Amendment posses a law that, in the case of a presidential tie, says that the House of Representatives would be the ones who would determine the winner. Had this Amendment not been in effect, both Adams and Jackson could have had to team up for the job. Instead, this resulted in not only a public dislike for Adams but also the reasons for awful clashes between the two’s political views.
1824’s Presidential Election became known as the “Corrupt Bargain” simply because of the not so secret alliance between Henry Clay and John Q. Adams. Unfortunately for Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay was the Speaker of the House. Clay and Adams had had secret meetings establishing a partnership that would result in Adams as the President of the United States and securing Clay the position of Secretary of State. For the Jacksonians and Jackson himself, Adam’s victory was a complete shock.
The Presidential Election of 1824 brought major changes in the election process.
As America left behind the one-party system of the ill-named Era of Good Feelings, a new democratic fervor swept through the nation. The election of 1824 and the Corrupt Bargain marked a shift in American politics away from aristocratic Eastern politicians and toward down to earth westerners, more in touch with the everyday American. The economic hardships under Monroe created distrust of the wealthy and powerful Virginia elites; and socially, Henry Clay’s influential position as Secretary of State allowed for the voice of the people to be ignored in the selection of the sixth president of the United States. With the gears of change already in motion, the election of 1824 and the Corrupt Bargain that decided its outcome essentially began a new period of American politics.
Although all four of the presidential candidates of 1824 declared themselves to be Republicans, they were by no means the same kinds of politicians. The perceived threat of eventual monarchy in Washington spurred many voters to view John Quincy Adams’ established political lineage as an inherent danger, causing them to jump whole-heartedly onto the Jackson band-wagon. Andrew Jackson, the august Hero of New Orleans from Tennessee, promised government geared toward the “common man” and a step away from the FFV’s (First Families of Virginia). The vigorous campaigning of these opposing forces permeated the culture of the time as seen in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, Young Goodman Brown; in this tale, the pious and benevolent Goodman Brown leaves behind his wife- aptly named Faith –and enters into the dark forest and corrupting clutches of the devil. This narrative illustrates this transitional period of American history when more and more people left behind Puritan traditions and engaged in the world of politics.
The election of 1824 was ultimately decided by the House of Representatives under the careful puppeteering of Henry Clay as Speaker of the House. Although Jackson had won the support of the people, Adams had the political connections necessary in such a situation; Allying himself with Clay and perhaps even bribing him with the position as Secretary of State, Adams won the presidency. The perceived secretive and crooked nature of this election earned it the title of the Corrupt Bargain. The people were outraged that the fate of the country did not seem to be in their control at all and so in 1828, Andrew Jackson, the hero of the people, flew easily into the White House.
Alissa Maggard
The election of 1824 or the “Corrupt Bargain” was most unusual. In fact it was the first election in US History which only Democratic Republicans participated in. The tensions between the candidates rose from personal biases and the basis of either representing the “common man” as Andrew Jackson presented himself, or supporting themselves through use of “bargaining” or “bribing” friends and/or economic elites to sway the votes in their favor. Thus, 1824’s election year proved to be full of abnormalities as well as surprises that resulted with Andrew Jackson’s success and overall victory.
It was important (as it is now) that the candidates capture the demands and desires of the people who would ultimately secure their place in office. Society in the 1820s is much like it is now, in a political aspect: the “common man” works to provide for his family and the wealthy man may do the same or strive to expand their power. The significance of this could not be stressed, however Henry Clay realized that his goal could not be reached, thus he decided that his best way of compensating his dilemma was to grief his opponent Andrew Jackson. To accomplish this he made a deal with John Quincy Adams which secured office for Adams at his own expense. Despite the odds turning in Adams’ favor, the Jacksonians were now aware of his scandal and named this conduct the “Corrupt Bargain”.
When all was said and done, it came down to the House of Representatives to make the final decision that would determine this election’s outcome. The House ruled in Jackson’s favor for having secured a sufficient amount of votes without unlike Adams who used dishonest means of conduct to gain a majority ruling. However likely it might have seemed at the time that Adams would emerge the victor it was the House of Reps that concluded that his actions represented how he might govern the young nation and that Jackson would make the better president.
I don’t know if this is correct,
but I hope this emoticon of
a friendly giraffe helps to change
your mind.
>:o===Q<
Annelise Rank
Periods: 1& 4
“The Corrupt Bargain” was when no one won a majority of the electoral votes in the 1824 election, so the election was thrown to the House of Representatives, for them to decide.
In the election of 1824, four men sought the presidency including; John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, and William H. Crawford. This election is known for being the only election to be decided by the House of Representatives (since the passing of the 12th amendment). John Q. Adams had; 84 electoral votes & carried 7 states. Andrew Jackson had; 99 electoral votes & carried 11 states. Henry Clay had; 37 electoral votes & carried 3 states. William H. Crawford had 41 electoral votes and carried 2 states. Though Jackson SHOULD have won the election, he didn’t due to the plurality of electoral votes that were not sufficient to prevent the election from being thrown to the House of Representatives. Thus, the election of 1824 was claimed to be the 1st election in which the candidate with the popular vote and who received the most electoral votes, did not become president.
The politics during this time were slowly becoming corrupt. For example; if a candidate rose to power, he would put in a good word for those who helped him get into office, getting some of them positions in office as well. Also, if a leader in office’s term was coming to an end, he would put more of his people into high levels of office.
Therefore, the Corrupt Bargain was a defining moment in our country’s history, pitting the ole Eastern Establishment against the New Anti-Establishment because of the unleashing of ‘Modern political campaigning’.
Amanda Jerd
Periods 3 and 6
In the early 1800’s, what came to be known as the “Corrupt Bargain” between John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay created what is today modern campaigning. This bargain, also known as the spoils system, was the first of its kind, as far as the public knew and it was a scandal. First, it made sense politically for Adams and Clay to arrange this; second, it was the beginning of a new era in Presidential Elections; and third, it created a social “skill” for the modern world. Thus, for political, revolutionary, and social reasons, the Corrupt Bargain was a major change for it’s time period and had major repercussions during its time and throughout history.
The Corrupt Bargain took place in the 1824 election that came down to Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams. Henry Clay, a candidate who had been taken out of the race, was Speaker of the House at the time. The neither candidate received enough electoral votes and so the election was thrown into the House of Representatives where Clay fought for Adams – as their policies were similar. Jackson was the popular candidate and everyone was expecting him to win the presidency but when Adams won and made Clay Secretary of State (where four previous Secretaries had become President) someone cried foul on Clay and Adams. Whether or not they really did strike a deal, neither tried to deny or hide it. It made complete political sense for the men to align because it benefitted both of their short term careers. Long term, however, marred their records and when Adams fought for presidency again in 1828, he lost by a substantial amount. This bargain paved the way for Jackson’s spoils system, in which elite supporters are given choice government jobs in exchange for that support. At this time period, it was a relatively new idea – bribing – but Washington Irving’s “The Devil and Tom Walker” illustrated that in reality, the underhand schemes had been going on for a long time, but it had only just now been exposed. Today, this goes on as well. An example could be George W. Bush, who gave incompetent Michael Brown the task of FEMA head for being a supporter. Presidential candidates today continue to carry out this bribing to get what they want. The government is no longer run by people like Washington who are “incorruptible” and will not seek power nor keep it when asked to relinquish it but rather power hungry men who want their voice heard. The Corrupt Bargain was the beginning to modern political corruption.
Krizelle DeGuzman
Period 1 and 4
During the Election of 1824 the two main candidates, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson, were of the same political party. There were also two other candidates, William Harris Crawford and Henry Clay but they were very far behind compared to both Adams and Jackson. This election was later called the "Corrupt Bargain" by some, created what is now known as modern campaigning. First, because of the 12th Amendment Jackson was defeated; Second, Henry Clay took advantage of his power as a member in the House of Representatives to sway the votes in Adams favor. Therefore for political and social reasons, the election of 1824 was the "Corrupt Bargain".
According to the 12th Amendment it would be the House of Representatives who would decide the victor of a political campaign, in the case that there would be a tie. During the election Andrew Jackson had received more votes than any of the other candidates including John Quincy Adams, but he still had not received the amount of electoral votes needed which meant that the race to be president was temporarily undecided. The decision would now be put into the hands of the House of Representatives. Henry Clay, who was also a presidential candidate that received the least amount of electoral votes, was also the Speaker of the House at the time. Because Henry Clay had led the strongest attacks against Jackson during the campaign it was obvious that he would use all of his power as the Speaker to influence the votes to be in Adams' favor. It was after Clay was chosen to be Secretary of State by Adams that the public began to get very upset considering that Jackson also had the most popular vote. Jacksonians began to call it the "Corrupt Bargain" because they saw this as a symbol as a new corrupted systems that did not have the interests of the people in mind at all.
Steven Fraser
Per 6
The election of 1824 named the "corrupt bargain" by Jackson's supporters, was a unprecedented election in that Jackson had the most popular and electoral votes, although he went on to lose to John Quincy Adams when the vote went to the House, due to the fact that no one had the majority of votes. This "corrupt bargain" was monumental in showing that Jackson, who supported the common man and his vote could win and would have, had the vote not gone to the House. A great shift in the America was set in motion by this election which was a result of and resulted in many different factors. First, what emerged out of the election is a huge shift in political allegiances and a change in the very nature of politics at this time, no longer would there be the “clean” politics of Washington’s day, the new era would be the era of “bareknuckle” politics; second, the election showed the social power shift of America at this time, the power was being shifted from the rich to the growing middle and lower classes; third, the corrupt bargain was a result of all of the political ties in the system at this time, which after this would be overhauled with the ultimate support of candidates being given to the common man, and the era of Democracy was born. Therefore, because of the political, and social reasons the election of 1824 resulted in the “era of the common man” and the birth of modern America.
Politically there was a huge change as a result of the election. The election showed that the Democratic - Republican Party was not invincible, as shown by Jackson, who as an under-dog had almost beaten them. This show of force resulted in a change of political allegiances, as politicians saw that the future of the nation was no longer in the elitist Democratic-Republicans but in the Jacksonian-Democrats who supported and more importantly had the support of the common man. This change resulted in the birth of modern day politics, as this election was the starting point of modern political campaigning, and was the first real contested election. This election signaled the death of the old forms of politics in which it was all about who you knew (as was shown in “corrupt bargain”) and the birth of where it was how you appealed to the common people. Modern day politics were now more about winning over the majority of people instead of the elitist minority. This was a huge shift in political thinking, as the common people realized that their vote counted for something and the politicians realized this too. This mirrored what was going on socially during this time, in which the power soon changed from the upper class to the lower and middle classes. This shows how the U.S. was functioning how it was intended to with the people in charge.In conclusion the “corrupt bargain” or election of 1824 was instrumental in changing the U.S,’s political and social structuring; it successfully shifted the power from the upper class to the lower and middle classes.
Steven Fraser
In the early 1820’s the election between 4 men, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, and William H. Crawford, would be a close election. Because each of them were in the same political party they were all expected to have the same ideas and procedures as each other. There were two literary and historical reasons that brought about the “Corrupt Bargain.” First off was the politics and historical context that favored the wealthy white men over the lower classes. Secondly was the evolution of the American and pre American literature had come the point where it supported the lower classmen. Because of the two different ideas this cause people to be confused in the 1820’s.
American society has grown to defend and portray everyman as a person equally rather than the people affected by the government. The result ended up having those people be the ones who controlled the government.
Because the government was run this way the lower classmen felt more powerful and felt like they had more freedom as a common man which is where the title “era of the common man” comes in. because of the fact that they had more freedom then they must have a leader to help further these people in their abilities, and the man for that job was Andrew Jackson. Even though Jackson had the right ideas in mind and won the majority of the popular and electoral votes he didn’t win. The reason is because the majority of people in that time were rich and wealthy white men so they felt threatened by what Jackson was saying. As a result of this an event occurred that was the result in Adam’s victory known as the “Corrupt Bargain.” So even though Jackson had the right ideas in mind because of the economic standpoint of the time he did not win.
In the election of 1824, all four candidates were part of the Democratic-Republican party, resulting in a never before seen predicament for the Senate. The candidates were branching off into their own party's which marked the final collapse of the Republican-Federalist foundation. For the first time there was no opposing side to the democratic party. The outcome of the very close election shocked political leaders, for they had never seen a race so close. Although the winner of the all around Electoral was Andrew Jackson, with ninety-nine votes, He was surprisingly not elected presidency. John Quincy Adams will be the one to take that title with only 84 electoral votes, even falling behind Jackson again for the popular vote, he still came out victorious because it was not the people who pick the president, it was the House of Representatives. Henry Clay, realizing his loss of the presidency devised a plan to pay off Jackson and Adams without the either one of them knowing so that if one of them was to win they were to appoint him secretary of state. Jacksonians, already not taking the loss very smoothly, feeling cheated out of their presidential candidate, Once they heard the news claiming Henry Clay's appointing to being a “Corrupt Bargain.” Now, by supporters of Jackson, the antagonistic presidential race began practically before Adams even took to office. The Jacksonians claimed that the Adams-Clay allience was a symbol for the corrupt system and the people in power only pursuing their own intrests and not taking into account the people. The end result for Clay was not one of good nature, he would not be elected again because of his actions and it only hurt Adams next term presidential campaign, seeing as how he lost the people's trust. The end result of the election of 1824 was instrumental in changing the U.S.'s political and social structuring.
The election of 1824 represented the point of time in American history that was the creation of democracy in America. The election involved a fiery battle between John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay and Andrew Jackson which had to be resolved in the House of Representatives, where the struggle was solved in what is known as the “Corrupt Bargain”. First, the rise of the Democratic- Republicans and the fall of the federalists brought an America that was based on the votes of the common people instead of congress; second, the new party split America into two political sides and this corrupted all citizens that were formerly uninvolved in American politics; third, many advancement during the time helped information on politics get to the people, therefore, allowing them to vote much quicker then they could before. Thus, because of the rise of the Democratic Republicans, the two party political system, and the technological advancements of the time, the Election of 1824 had to be settled by the House of Representatives rather that at the ballot box.
In the Election of 1824, all of the candidates were Democratic- Republicans, which created the fall of the federalist party. Most of the prominent eastern politicians lost influence after the fall of the Federalist party and American aristocrats were also members of the Federalists which nearly whipped them out. The already popular Democratic-Republicans almost instantly influenced American voters. Andrew Jackson was already very popular because of his success in war but now the people loved him because of his strong affiliation with the Democratic-Republican party. Andrew Jackson proposed the idea of an America lead by the “common man”, rather than the House of Representatives. This become one of the most essential steps to the American Government that we have today. America was at a very advanced technological age, It now had railroads expanding across the wilderness, it’s frontiers now stretched across the Mississippi, and the telegraph was invented. These advancement aided the capability of spreading news and political standings to the many people of America which made it easier to get the votes of the common man. Railroads and the telegraph greatly helped the success of the Democratic Republicans because the citizens now had more of a say in American government and politics. But The involvement of the American people also brought many problems, because now the people would have political brawls against people of the other party. These altercations were expressed in much of the literature of the time period, including “Young Goodman Brown”. Young Goodman Brown is about a man who leaves his wife for an unknown errand in the forest only to be confronted by the devil. The story symbolizes the common man, as depicted by Goodman Brown, being corrupted by politicians of the time and losing their dignity by getting themselves caught in political races. The story depicts politics as very evil and corrupted, so evil that they would resolve and election using ideas such as a “Corrupt Bargain”or a “Spoils System”.
Brynn Villa
Period 1 & 4
During the election of 1828, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson ran for the presidency. With less than a third of the people’s votes, John Quincy Adams was elected as President. This happened only because of something called “the corrupt Bargain,” that settled this election in the House of Representatives rather than the ballot box. The people vote based on the persons social; political; and intellect, whereas the House of Representatives seem to really only look at money. The crazy thing is that this “Corrupt Bargain” didn’t benefit anyone except John Quincy Adams.
Adams had a terrible attitude and was very sarcastic. He butted heads with almost everyone, but he seemed to catch the governments’ eye. However, he was a very successful secretary. He also demanded respect from the ones around him and he would not stand for any disrespect what so ever. He urged for a construction of roads and canals and he had a nationalistic view. He was also the son of a previous president which caused the House of Reps to vote him in a sense. They didn’t actually vote for him though. The Electoral College didn’t have a favorite so the House of Reps had to take the vote. Henry Clay decided to “forged an Ohio Valley-New England coalition that secured the White House for John Quincy Adams”. Henry Clay absolutely hated Jackson so it kind of makes sense why he would do this act. This was enough, however, for the House of Representatives to be convinced that Adams would be the better president. Many people misjudged Jackson so they did not believe that he would make a good president. Thanks to this experience, though, he was able to prove himself as time progressed and he was able to grow into an even stronger young man and a very memorable president.
Mass democracy, which is what our entire political system is predicated upon, was a counter balance to the growth of aristocratic influence in elections. The aristocratic influence reached its apex in 1824, when the presidential election was to be decided in the House of Representatives and as a quid pro quo Henry Clay would give John Quincy Adams the needed votes to the win the election in exchange Clay would be appointed Secretary of State. Ultimately this aristocratic shift in power will prompt Andrew Jackson, the candidate who won the popular vote in the election of 1824, to launch a movement towards mass democracy and revolutionize the American political system. The push for mass democracy will change the American political system by shifting the presidential campaign focus on the western states; also dirty politics will become standard in elections; and most importantly the mass democracy movement will embrace the spoils system. The Corrupt Bargain is ultimately the seed of the mass democracy movement and responsible for implosion of the aristocratic influence in national politics. Andrew Jackson revered as the protector of the peoples voice and facing a crushing loss in the election of 1824 he shifted next election’s campaign focus on western states. Jackson infuriated by having his election stolen by Clay and Adams unleashed the power of the masses to launch a crusade against corruption and elitism. By the time the next election cycle came around there was a strong anti-elitist sentiment in America especially in the west thus ushering in the age of Jackson. Jackson’s push in the West was consequential to American politics because it opened up the common man voter demographic. Once Jackson enfranchised this voter base there was no undoing that and politics was forcibly brought down to the lowest denominator. The precedents Jackson set in political campaigning were innumerable but the most profound one he set was the idea that candidate had to campaign everywhere in an election. The Corrupt Bargain can be seen as Jackson’s motivation to destroy the old political system in America and the only way he could achieve this
was to unleash the power of the west. With elections now opened to the masses political strategist needed effective methods to entice the masses to vote for their candidates. The most effective way to win an election is to defame the opposing candidate and this was first done in the election of 1828 between Jackson and Adams. The Jacksonians accused Adams of being a pimp and Adams supporters accused Jackson of being a son of prostitute, while both claims were false it shows how much the common man can affect the election. The common man is going to vote for the person they liked the most instead of the person best suited for the job. This mentality that is instilled in the masses will force each candidate to launch personal attacks in order to make them look like the reasonable alternative. Personal attacks are the only effective method of winning votes because the masses are not as receptive to policy based attacks because they are not as sensational or earth shattering. The debauching of political campaigns is a causality of the Corrupt Bargain because this fateful event will open politics to the masses forcing candidates to shift their attacks to suit this demographic because after mass democracy took hold of America no candidate could ever win without the support of the common man. Once the common man is given the right to vote they soon demand to the right to participate in politics directly. Andrew Jackson responds to this demand by conceiving the Spoils System, which rewards loyal partisans and party supporters with government jobs discarding the previous merit based system. This system was strikingly similar to the Corrupt Bargain because in the election of 1824 the people’s voice was disregarded for backroom deals this is similar to the Spoils System which disregards people’s merits and focuses on people’s loyalty to the party. In historical sense the Corrupt Bargain was the first backroom deal and it showed that two people can overturn the voices of millions of people and Jackson knew that this tool was too powerful to ignore. If he did not use it, it would be used against him and this system had its opponents like the novel Young Goodman Brown which depicts a man who is converted by satanic forces and this is a representation of the Democrats infecting the innocent masses with the evils politics. Many people saw that politics should be left to the select because politics was toxic and can deprave even the most moral man. Also people viewed the Corrupt Bargain as snag in an effective political system and saw that Jackson’s push for mass democracy was going to open Pandora’s Box. The Corrupt Bargain is the father of modern politics because it was a wake up call for the people to take the government and shifted politics towards appeasing the masses.
Nick Palmares
Per. 4
There were many people running against each other but they were all supposedly supposed to have the same ideas, procedures and practices because of their previous political alliances and their outspoken party affiliations (ushistory.org). There were two clear Historical and Literary reasons that led up to this confusion and consequently the political event known now as the “Corrupt Bargain.” Firstly, the evolution of the American and pre-American Greco-Roman literature had reached a peak that supported and empowered the lower class, the common man; Secondly, the historical context and politics of the time favored the wealthy, rich, white, male land-owners of the time
Literarily, American society had grown and developed into a state that empowered and established “Everyman” as more than just the ones affected by a government, it developed them into the ones that control the government. Because of the historical medieval play, Everyman and its reincarnation in the short story by Washington Irving, ‘The Devil and Tom Walker,’ the mentality of this time was definitely the empowerment of the Common Man hence the historical name of this time “The Era of the Common Man.” Thus, it is then reasonable to assume that there would be a champion of the common man, someone that would use their traits to try and portray himself as the most common man, that man was Andrew Jackson. But, politically these were hard times for America and although Jackson won both the popular vote and more electoral votes than any of the other candidates he did not win. This is because historically America was at a point where rich white land-owning men were the ones in power and what Jackson said he believed was a threat to their elitist ways.
Sonia Mendonca
Per 1&4
The election of 1812 would be known as a historical election that would change American politics. In this election there were two main candidates, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. There were also two other candidates, William Harris Crawford and Henry Clay but they were very far behind compared to both Adams and Jackson. This election was later called the "Corrupt Bargain" by some, created what is now known as modern campaigning. First, because of the 12th Amendment Jackson was defeated; Second, Henry Clay took advantage of his power as a member in the House of Representatives to sway the votes in Adams favor. Therefore for political and social reasons, the election of 1824 was the "Corrupt Bargain".
According to the 12th Amendment it would be the House of Representatives who would decide the victor of a political campaign, in the case that there would be a tie. During the election Andrew Jackson had received more votes than any of the other candidates including John Quincy Adams, but he still had not received the amount of electoral votes needed which meant that the race to be president was temporarily undecided. The decision would now be put into the hands of the House of Representatives. Henry Clay, who was also a presidential candidate that received the least amount of electoral votes, was also the Speaker of the House at the time. Because Henry Clay had led the strongest attacks against Jackson during the campaign it was obvious that he would use all of his power as the Speaker to influence the votes to be in Adams' favor. It was after Clay was chosen to be Secretary of State by Adams that the public began to get very upset considering that Jackson also had the most popular vote. The term "Corrupt Bargain" was created by the Jacksonians because they saw this as corruption that would effect the people.
Post a Comment