Election of 1824

King Caucus

By the election of 1820, the Federalist Party had fallen apart and ceased to nominate a candidate for the presidency. The Democrat-Republican Party candidate now ran unopposed. At the time, primaries were decided by a caucus of party members in Congress instead of directly by voters. With only one active political party and no direct nomination, critics called this process the "King Caucus."

Fig.2 - William Crawford

Election of 1824 Candidates

Four candidates were in the running for the presidency in 1824. They were John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William Crawford, and Henry Clay. "King Caucus" had decided on William Crawford as the Democrat-Republican candidate, but the backing of the only major political party at the time did not guarantee him the position. The system had lost respectability, and only one-fourth of the Democrat-Republicans in congress chose to participate in the caucus.

John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams' father, John Adams, had America's second president and an important founding father. His political experience included serving as a senator and Secretary of State, where he negotiated necessary territorial expansions. The Adams was the new country's first political dynasty, but his success as Secretary of State also caused John Quincy to be viewed as the heir to the presidency. This contrasted with calls for increased public alternatives. In the election, Adams, from Massachusetts, represented the North in the increasing divide between the North and the South.

Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson was a very different candidate from John Quincy Adams. Instead of being a descendant of a political dynasty, he was an orphan who had risen to become a lawyer and businessman in Tennessee. Jackson represented the agricultural South in contrast to Adams' metropolitan Bostonian roots.

Henry Clay

North and South were not the only interests in the United States; Clay was the candidate for the expanding West. A congressional representative from Kentucky, Clay had been party to crucial activities such as negotiating the end of the War of 1812, creating the American System, and the Missouri Compromise.

William Crawford

Crawford was the chosen candidate for the Democrat-Republican Caucus. His choice was unusual as he was far less popular than Adams or Jackson and had suffered a stroke in 1823, leaving him paralyzed and almost blind. Incapacitated due to the stroke, Crawford himself was able to do little during the election.

Fig.3 - John C Calhoun

Election of 1824 Vice President

While the presidential contest was highly competitive, The vice presidency was decided in a landslide. John C. Calhoun of South Carolina had initially attempted to run for president. When he could not garner enough support in the crowded field to become a viable candidate, he accepted the nomination for vice president. At the time, the office of vice president was not tied to a presidential candidate as a single ticket. Calhoun easily won the office, unlike the disputed presidential election.

1824 Presidential Campaign

The 1824 election had the unusual feature of political party affiliation not being a significant factor in determining the outcome. With the body that nominated William Crawford being viewed as illegitimate by many, no one candidate had solid partisan support. Electors chosen by state legislatures had decided previous elections, but in this race, the electors were chosen directly by the voters. The candidates in this election did not campaign with the public but had their supporters out spreading their message. Through the perceived illegitimacy of the "King Caucus," the election was a de facto public primary for the one-party system in the United States.

Election of 1824 Voting Results

Fig.4 - 1824 Presidential Election Results

Election of 1825 House of Representatives

The 12th Amendment stated that if no single candidate received more than half of the electoral votes, the House of Representatives would decide the election between the three candidates with the highest electoral votes. Even though Clay led Crawford in popular votes, Clay was not a contender because he had received fewer electoral votes. The House was officially deciding between Jackson, Adams, and Crawford but Crawford was too ill from his stroke to present a case for his candidacy. On February 09, 1825, the House of Representatives held their election to John Quincy Adams.

House Election Results

Fig.5 - Corrupt Bargain Political Cartoon

Election of 1824 Corrupt Bargain

Now out of the running for the presidency, Henry Clay was Speaker of the House and held considerable power over the elections. Kentucky's state legislature had instructed its House delegation to vote for Jackson, but they disobeyed and voted for Adams. Clay had convinced them and others to vote for Adams instead of Jackson and was appointed Secretary of State by Adams when he assumed the presidency. Jackson's supporters accused that a "Corrupt Bargain" had been made where Clay had delivered the election to Adams in exchange for the political appointment to Secretary of State.