The "Corrupt Bargain" 1824 As the "Era of Good Feelings" under James Monroe came to an end in 1824, the old congressional caucus system or choosing presidential candidates had broken down. Four candidates towered above the others: John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts, Henry Clay of Kentucky, William H. Crawford of Georgia, and Andrew Jackson of Tennessee. All four rivals professed to be "Republicans." Jackson won the greatest number of popular votes, but because the vote was split four ways, he lack a majority in the Electoral College. The House of Representatives had to choose from the top three. Clay was thus eliminated. Yet as Speaker of the house, he presided over the very chamber that had to pick the winner. Clay used his influence in the House to get Adams elected an in turn, Adams made Clay his Secretary of State. Masses of angry Jacksonians raised a roar of protest against this "corrupt bargain." The clamor continued for the four years of Adams' Presidency. A Yankee Misfit in the White House Adam's entered his presidency with a brilliant record in statecraft, especially in foreign policy, however while he is ranked as one of the most successful secretaries of state, he became one of the least successful presidents. Adams was further alienated when he asked Congress for additional money for internal improvements, aid to manufacturing, and even a national university and astrological observatory. In 1828, Adams was able to piece together a new tariff law that generally satisfied northern manufacturers but alienated southern planters, who denounced it as a "tariff of abominations." Going "Whole Hog" for Jackson in 1828 Jackson's followers presented their hero as a roughhewn frontiersman and a stalwart champion of the common man. They denounced Adams as a corrupt aristocrat and argued that the will of the people had been thwarted. Jackson also smeared the president, accusing Adams' wife of being born out of wedlock. Adams's camp responded in kind, accusing Jackson's wife of adultery. Jackson wins a landslide victory in 1828, with an electoral count of 178 to 83. He won with a reputation of a war hero and a man of western frontiers. The Spoils System Under Jackson the spoils system¬¬¬-that is, rewarding political supporters with public office-was introduced into the federal government on a large scale. Scandal inevitably accompanied the new system. Men who had openly bought their posts by campaign contributions were appointed to high office. Often times illiterate incompetents, and plain crooks were given position of public trust.
The Alien and Sedition acts hurt John Adams’ image of a patriot and his chances of a another presidency. The Alien and Sedition Acts were signed into law by John Adams in 1798. They, among other
South Carolina’s decision to invalidate the federal law and deem the tariff unconstitutional was the first blatant disregard for the centralized government. The United States, under Jackson’s presidency, did not unite and support one another in the face of the economic tariff and hardships. Instead, the states nullified (South Carolina in particular) and the individualistic ideals and motivations of the states were exposed. State opinions, such as that of South Carolina were focused solely on their own personal benefit and how they would survive the hardships of the tariff. During the Age of Jackson, there was no unification between the states. The ideals of Jacksonian America were flawed by the growing sectionalism and individualistic ideals. The total equality and unification that Jacksonian America attempted to create was no longer an option. Jacksonian America failed, and in result, did not promote the unified democracy in the United
Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States and was one of the most controversial presidents ever. Jackson initially gained national fame through his role in the War of 1812, where he led a victory over the British at the Battle of New Orleans. Three year laters, Jackson invaded the Spanish-Florida territory which directed to the Adams-Onis Treaty. Although Andrew Jackson proved to be a great military strategist, his unneeded hostility, which was brought out in the Spoils System, the Indian Removal Act, and the ongoing feud with the National Bank, ultimately classify him as poor president.
The Republicans were not only enraged by the signing of the Alien and Sedition Acts, in the Republican’s response, they created the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions that “challenged the legitimacy of federal authority over the states” ( “John Adams: Life in Brief”). It argued that the acts were unconstitutional (Magill 48). In 1800, Adams’ signed the peace treaty with France, which enraged his own party, the Federalists, who were anti-French (Smith 20). In 1800, Adams’ second reelection was difficult for him because his party: the Federalists were divided over his foreign policy (“John Adams: Campaigns and Elections”). Though Adams came close to winning, the victory went to Thomas Jefferson.
For the most part, the connection between the Presidential election process of 1788 and the present Presidential election procedure are both determined through the Electoral College process. The Electoral College process made sure people played a crucial role in the selection of the President of the United States. As was previously stated, I have expounded on the process of how the President is elected; the vital role that people played in the election, and the responsibility of the House of Representatives in response to the
Many people found this election to be a revolution and a great future for the country. That is not exactly what happened. In 1832, Andrew Jackson sent a letter to congress saying he does not support the National Bank. He says that if the bank were to happen, it would be the rich in most control. The bank would be more for the rich and the foreign but have no benefits for the poor. (Doc.4) Jackson’s political rival, Daniel Webster believes that this letter from Jackson showed just how evil Jackson was. Webster does not think Jackson was vetoing for the good of the people but to ‘stir the pot’. By Jackson sending this letter, it causes a stir between the rich and the poor. The poor would feel imbalanced against the poor and arguments would rush out. (Doc.5). This letter he wrote to congress was one of his many times when he was “selfish” and used his powers unjustly to make something go the way he wanted. Was Jackson trying to inflame the different classmen? Was this
Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of America who had a very unique time in office. Jackson advertised as being for the people of the United States but then his actions proved otherwise at later times. While Jackson did things for the people, he was as much of an autocrat as he was a democrat based upon the documents that were formed during his time in office.
In the year of 1824, tempers were flaring and insults were being exchanged as politicians argued over who would be the sixth president of the United States. John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson were the two major candidates in the election. However, this would be an election that would be remembered in history for its unique result. Despite being the more popular candidate, Andrew Jackson would not become the president. The presidential election of 1824 is remembered as one of the most controversial elections to have ever occurred in the history of the United States.
The election of 1824 is one of the most unique and interesting elections in American history. The four candidates in the election were William Crawford, Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Jackson. They were all from the Jacksonian Republican Party.
He was elected by popular vote. Jackson wanted to cater to the common people. Jackson was the first president to become a democrat. The other presidents before him were either a federalist, democratic-republican or a republican. He vetoed more than twelve bills than his six predecessors. He wanted to make sure his people were treated fairly. The first president, George Washington, to the sixth president, John Quincy Adams, only vetoed nine bills. The first six presidents before him were wealthy and educated. Andrew Jackson did not have much money and felt education was not really necessary. Overall, Jackson seemed to be a hero compared to the other presidents before him.
Andrew Jackson had many significant contributions to the democratic state of the country. One of those contributions, as stated in document B, was Jackson’s victory of the 1928 Presidential election. What this election did was accelerate the transfer of power from the national elite to the common-man; the universal-white-men now had a larger role in the government. As the graph in document A shows, the methods of electing Presidential electors before Jackson’s Presidency was for-the-most-part dominated by state legislature, it was during Jackson’s administration by which the people were electing Presidential electors. As President, Jackson sought to rid the government of all its corrupt officials. This is backed up by the information in document D, which states that Jackson believed that the offices should be rotated every four years and filled by the people. The same document states that Jackson believed the president should serve a single term of no more than four or six years; the senators should have similar constraints with subjection to removal. All of this was fueled by his theory that there was more to be gained with the rotation of office holders that the long continuance of them and that office were not created to give certain men support rather than help the people, as ex...
He won popular vote and the electoral vote, but lost in the House of Representatives (192). He may have lost, but he and the Democratic Party began to campaign for 1828 (192). The election of 1828 was one of the most “vitriolic” and personal campaigns in history (193). Every questionable thing in from Andrew Jackson’s past was brought back (193). From his actions during the Indian wars to his marriage to Rachel (193).
... secretary of state. The southern states, who were Jacksonian supporters, were subsequently outraged and furious. They claimed it was unfair and classified it as “corrupt”. This drove a greater wedge between the southern states and the northern states, who had favored Adams. This political event epitomized sectionalism and discredits the notion that this time was an “Era of Good Feelings”.
During the election of 1800, Thomas Jefferson succeeded in defeating the incumbent, John Adams, and assumed the presidency. In terms of elections though, the election of 1800 itself was a fascinating election in that it a heavily-contested election and was effectively the first time political parties ran smear campaigns against each other during an election. The Republican Party attacked the Federalists for being anti-liberty and monarchist and tried to persuade the public that the Federalists were abusing their power through acts such as the Alien & Sedition Acts and the suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion (Tindall and Shi 315). The Federalists, on the other hand, attacked Jefferson for his atheism and support of the French Revolution and warned that his election would result in chaos (316). By the end of the presidential election, neither Adams nor Jefferson emerged with his reputation completely intact. Still, rather than an election between Adams and Jefferson, the election of 1800 ultimately boiled down to a deadlock between Jefferson and his vice presidential candidate, Aaron Burr, who each held seventy-three electoral votes, resulting in the election was sent to the House of Representatives. In the end, the deadlock was resolved only by Alexander Hamilton, whose immense hate for Burr allowed Jefferson to claim the presidency. However, the election of 1800 was more than just a simple presidential election. The election of 1800 was the first peaceful transfer of power from the incumbent party to the opposition and represented a new step in politics, as well as a new direction in foreign policy that would emerge from Jefferson’s policies, and to this extent, the election of 1800 was a revolution.
Andrew Jackson began a whole new era in American history. Amongst his greatest accomplishments were evoking the "common man" to be interested in government and tailoring democracy to satisfy the same "common man's" needs. Of course, Jackson could not go about making such radical changes without supporters, but that never surfaced as a problem. Jacksonian Democrats, as they came to be called, were great in number during the 1820's and 1830's. They advocated all of the issues that President Jackson did, and did so with great vigor. They thought of themselves very highly because they recognized their responsibilities as American citizens. They realized that as political leaders they had a true purpose- to protect and serve the American people. The Jacksonians justified their view of themselves in their sincere attempts to guard the United States Constitution by both promoting equality of economic opportunity and increasing political democracy, but they had their downfalls with issues of individual liberties.