U.S. presidential election, 1824
Summary
The election of 1824 is often considered a realigning election.
Though the Federalist Party was gone, divisions in the Democratic-Republican Party ran deep enough to cause different factions of the party to put their own candidates up for election to the presidency. Early on John Caldwell Calhoun decided to drop out of the race for the Presidency and instead seek to become Vice President, an office no other major candidate sought, in the hope that this would provide him with a stepping stone for a future Presidential bid. Calhoun endorsed Andrew Jackson but would receive support from electors supporting each of the other Presidential candidates.
Approximately one in four states did not have a popular poll to determine how that state's votes in the electoral college should be cast, instead leaving the choice to the state legislatures. The controversy of the outcome led to agitation in many of these states for a popular poll and by the 1828 election only South Carolina did not hold one.
As a result of the split within the party, none of the four candidates received the 131 electoral votes necessary for victory. William Harris Crawford was considered a compromise choice by many, but he suffered a stroke and so was no longer seen as a viable option, though constitutionally he remained in consideration. On December 1, 1824 the United States House of Representatives convened to decide the winner. On February 9, 1825 and following much debate the matter was settled on the first ballot when 13 state delegations cast their votes in favor of John Quincy Adams, winner of neither the popular nor electoral vote. 7 states voted for Andrew Jackson, the winner of both popular and electoral vote, and 3 states voted for William Harris Crawford.
Henry Clay, who had finished fourth in electoral votes, was not eligible for consideration by the House. Had he been, as Speaker of the House he likely would have been elected. Instead, he threw his support behind Adams, setting the stage for a bitter Adams-Jackson rematch four years later. Clay was appointed Secretary of State in Adams's administration, leading to persistant claims that a deal had been struck so that Clay would use his influence to secure the election for Adams. However others have argued that ideologically Clay's American System was far closer to Adams's position on tariffs and internal improvements than Jackson's and so it was natural that would-be Clay supporters turned to Adams.
The election also was the first for which popular vote totals were maintained.
Election Results
Other Elections
For More Information
President of the United States, U.S. presidential election, 1824, History of the United States (1776-1865)
