1301.10d - Election of 1824

The Candidates and the Chaos of 182400:00:00

Following the Era of Good Feelings, the Democratic-Republican party fractured into factions as the Federalists ceased to exist. With James Monroe refusing a third term, four candidates emerged: William Crawford (Old Guard/conservative), Henry Clay (Speaker of the House/American System), John Quincy Adams (similar to Clay but more strict), and Andrew Jackson (war hero/anti-Clay).

The House Decision and the Corrupt Bargain00:02:21

No candidate won a majority of electoral votes, sending the election to the House of Representatives. Although Andrew Jackson had the most popular and electoral votes, Henry Clay, as Speaker of the House, threw his support behind John Quincy Adams. Adams won the presidency, and Clay became Secretary of State, leading Jackson to label the event the "corrupt bargain."

The Split of the Democratic-Republicans00:05:48

The election resulted in the eventual split of the Democratic-Republican party into two new factions between 1826 and 1828. The National Republicans, led by Adams, Clay, and Calhoun, supported the American System and strong national government, while the Democrats, led by Jackson and Van Buren, formed primarily in opposition to the National Republicans. This marked the end of the Era of Good Feelings and the beginning of the Age of Jackson.