The Election of 1824: A "Corrupt Bargain&quot

As James Monroe's presidency moved through its second term, in the absence of any clearly defined party, five regional candidates emerged as contenders for the election of 1824: John C. Calhoun of South Carolina; John Quincy Adams, Monroe's secretary of state; Andrew Jackson, the hero of New Orleans; Henry Clay of Kentucky, the "Great Compromiser"; and William H. Crawford of Georgia, former Minister to France and Monroe's secretary of the treasury. An illness eliminated Crawford, and Calhoun, still a relatively young man, withdrew early in the game and ran for vice president under Adams and Jackson. He was elected both times.

With a divided vote, no candidate won a majority in the Electoral College; thus the election was moved into the House of Representatives, the last time that has occurred. In the actual election Jackson received about 151,000 popular votes and 99 electoral votes; Adams received over 110,000 popular votes and 84 electoral votes. Henry Clay came in a distant third in both categories. It is worth noting that the population of the United States at the time was about 12 million, which shows that in many states the people still did not vote for the presidential electors. State legislatures chose the presidential electors in those states.

With majorities in both electoral and popular votes, Andrew Jackson felt he was entitled to the presidency. But behind the closed doors of the House of Representatives the deliberations produced a different result. John Quincy Adams was elected president, and he soon named Henry Clay to be his secretary of state. Since every prior president except Washington and John Adams had served as Secretary of State, the office seemed to be a direct pipeline to the presidency. Thus charges were brought that Clay and Adams had struck a "corrupt bargain," allowing Adams to gain the presidency, although no corroborating evidence has ever been found. John Quincy Adams was known for his scrupulous honesty, but it is clear that Jackson and Clay had sharp political differences. In any case it is generally accepted that Clay's influence as speaker of the house was decisive.