Corruption in the Election of 1824

799 Words2 Pages

Deals are often made in politics, but are those deals corrupt? After the War of 1812 the Federalist party collapsed and left the U.S. with one party. This time was called the Era of Good Feelings. During this time the Democratic-Republicans were the main party, and in the presidential election of 1824 a corrupt bargain occurred. John Quincy Adams made a deal with Henry Clay to make Adams president and Clay the Secretary of State. Some background information is important to understanding the candidates and how they campaigned at that time. In the end, the results showed that political corruption helped Adams win the presidential election of 1824.
Because of the Hartford Convention, the Federalists collapsed. This led to the triumph of the Democratic-Republicans and the Era of Good Feelings. The Hartford Convention was composed mostly of Federalists who opposed the War of 1812. When the U.S. won the war, it raised the national pride of Americans and lowered the respect of the Federalists who opposed the war. This tarnished the Federalist’s record and brought America into the Era of Good Feelings. The Era of Good Feelings brought a high sense of national and military pride. James Monroe said, “National honor is the highest national property of the highest value,” (James Monroe Quotes). That means that national pride is the most important part of a nation. The Era of Good Feelings increased American expansion and population while also making a better style of life for American citizens. Americans began to celebrate holidays such as the Fourth of July, which not only gave the people a great feeling of military pride, but also brought the nation even closer together. This great feeling resulted in the growth of the country. The E...

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...t happened (Adderson)
Corruption in the election of 1824 helped Adams become President. Many things, such as document four, all prove this point. When talking about political corruption the first example is always the election of 1824. Adams made a corrupt bargain to get Clay to vote for him. But is not that just what politics is: doing whatever you can to get someone to vote for you?

Works Cited

Adderson, Anne. Did a corrupt bargain occur?. Medford: 2013. 1-11. Print.
Adderson, Anne. "Election of 1824." St. Mary’s School. Medford. 15 Nov 2013. Lecture.
"James Monroe Quotes." History Quotes. N.p.. Web. 15 Nov 2013.
Kelly, Martin. Quotes from John Quincy Adams. N.p.. Web. 26 Nov 2013.
"The 1824 Election and the "Corrupt Bargain"." U.S. History Online Textbook. N.p.. Web. 15 Nov
2013.
Whitson, James. "President Elect 1824." President Elect. N.p.. Web. 26 Nov 2013.

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