Gather round kids, it’s time for another history lesson that might offer you a little perspective before you start judging the American politicians of today against foreign mass murderers and dictators. Today is the 200th anniversary of one of the more controversial events in American presidential history. It was on February 9th 1825 that the “Corrupt Bargain” became a reality, with the House of Representatives election of John Quincy Adams to the Presidency.
The election of 1824 resulted in 4 different candidates receiving electoral votes. The leading vote getter was Andrew Jackson, who won 99 electoral votes and had the most popular votes. However, none of the four candidates, which included Secretary of State John Quincy Adams with 84 electoral votes and Speaker of the House Henry Clay who commanded 37 votes, had the requisite majority of the electoral college votes needed to claim the presidency. Therefore, the election was thrown to the House of Representatives, despite Jackson having a commanding lead in the popular vote.
In fact, Jackson was something of a populist who the American public held in high regard for his inspirational background, rising up from abject frontier poverty, fighting against the British in the War for Independence, making his fortune out West and pacifying various Native American tribes in the South, winning new lands for the young republic along the way. Then came the great turning point in the life of Jackson. In January of 1815, General Andrew Jackson commanded a patchwork force of American regulars, militia, volunteers and pirates at the Battle of New Orleans. During this battle, the British suffered over 2000 casualties, for the comparatively small price of 71 Americans killed, wounded and missing. Overnight, Andrew Jackson became a national hero and his political profile increased commensurately.
Come 1824 Jackson saw himself as presidential timber and stood for the office, thinking his influence in the Western and Southern states would propel him to the presidency. Unfortunately, Jackson had serious political rivals, including the aforementioned Secretary of State Adams and Speaker Clay, both of whom hated Jackson with a passion, believing the general to be a dangerous and semi-literate demagogue. Both Adams and Clay had powerful connections in Washington D.C. and in the press and even though they were from opposing political parties, they both believed that it would be the death of the republic if Jackson were ever to ascend to the presidency. Clay even wrote that he “could not see how killing two thousand five hundred Englishmen at New Orleans qualifies Jackson for the difficult and complicated business of the chief magistracy.”[1]
Once the election was thrown to the House of Representatives, Jackson declined to campaign among the congressional delegations in order to gather support. He fervently believed the people had spoken and that he must win the election in the House. In that atmosphere Clay threw his support to Adams, giving the Secretary of State and son of the second president, the White House. Five days later, Clay accepted the cabinet post of Secretary of State in the new Adams administration, convincing Jackson that a corrupt bargain had been struck in order to cheat him out of the presidency. Jackson had an unyielding belief in the will of the people over the whim of the powerful.[2]
Jackson would return to Tennessee and he would spend the next four years planning his election run in 1828. In that election “Old Hickory” would demolish John Quincy Adams and fulfill his worst fears. Jackson today is largely only remembered for presiding over the “Trail of Tears” and his defiance of the Supreme Court. What we forget is that Jackson was the first “people’s president” who presided over a massive increase in voter participation thus “democratizing” the young republic. Jackson went to war against what he viewed as the corrupt and entrenched banking interests of the Bank of the United States and what today many would call the “Deep State”. Jackson established the “Spoils System” wherein he rewarded his supporters with cabinet and government positions in order to advance his agenda. He also saved the country from division during the Secession Crisis of 1832 and advanced an America First foreign policy. Jackson occupied the White House during a period of technological advancement that was phenomenal for the time.
Jackson was seen by many as obnoxious, uneducated, dangerous and stubborn, quick to anger with a predisposition towards tyrannical rule, and wholly unsuited to the job of the presidency. He served two terms though because the American people, not the entrenched interests and East Coast elites, saw in him their own hopes and aspirations. He remains one of our most consequential presidents. Just food for thought on this 200th Anniversary of the “Corrupt Bargain”.
[1] Meacham, John, “American Lion, Andrew Jackson in the White House”, Random House, New York, 2009, p. 44
[2] Ibid. p. 46
The election of 1824 resulted in 4 different candidates receiving electoral votes. The leading vote getter was Andrew Jackson, who won 99 electoral votes and had the most popular votes. However, none of the four candidates, which included Secretary of State John Quincy Adams with 84 electoral votes and Speaker of the House Henry Clay who commanded 37 votes, had the requisite majority of the electoral college votes needed to claim the presidency. Therefore, the election was thrown to the House of Representatives, despite Jackson having a commanding lead in the popular vote.
In fact, Jackson was something of a populist who the American public held in high regard for his inspirational background, rising up from abject frontier poverty, fighting against the British in the War for Independence, making his fortune out West and pacifying various Native American tribes in the South, winning new lands for the young republic along the way. Then came the great turning point in the life of Jackson. In January of 1815, General Andrew Jackson commanded a patchwork force of American regulars, militia, volunteers and pirates at the Battle of New Orleans. During this battle, the British suffered over 2000 casualties, for the comparatively small price of 71 Americans killed, wounded and missing. Overnight, Andrew Jackson became a national hero and his political profile increased commensurately.
Come 1824 Jackson saw himself as presidential timber and stood for the office, thinking his influence in the Western and Southern states would propel him to the presidency. Unfortunately, Jackson had serious political rivals, including the aforementioned Secretary of State Adams and Speaker Clay, both of whom hated Jackson with a passion, believing the general to be a dangerous and semi-literate demagogue. Both Adams and Clay had powerful connections in Washington D.C. and in the press and even though they were from opposing political parties, they both believed that it would be the death of the republic if Jackson were ever to ascend to the presidency. Clay even wrote that he “could not see how killing two thousand five hundred Englishmen at New Orleans qualifies Jackson for the difficult and complicated business of the chief magistracy.”[1]
Once the election was thrown to the House of Representatives, Jackson declined to campaign among the congressional delegations in order to gather support. He fervently believed the people had spoken and that he must win the election in the House. In that atmosphere Clay threw his support to Adams, giving the Secretary of State and son of the second president, the White House. Five days later, Clay accepted the cabinet post of Secretary of State in the new Adams administration, convincing Jackson that a corrupt bargain had been struck in order to cheat him out of the presidency. Jackson had an unyielding belief in the will of the people over the whim of the powerful.[2]
Jackson would return to Tennessee and he would spend the next four years planning his election run in 1828. In that election “Old Hickory” would demolish John Quincy Adams and fulfill his worst fears. Jackson today is largely only remembered for presiding over the “Trail of Tears” and his defiance of the Supreme Court. What we forget is that Jackson was the first “people’s president” who presided over a massive increase in voter participation thus “democratizing” the young republic. Jackson went to war against what he viewed as the corrupt and entrenched banking interests of the Bank of the United States and what today many would call the “Deep State”. Jackson established the “Spoils System” wherein he rewarded his supporters with cabinet and government positions in order to advance his agenda. He also saved the country from division during the Secession Crisis of 1832 and advanced an America First foreign policy. Jackson occupied the White House during a period of technological advancement that was phenomenal for the time.
Jackson was seen by many as obnoxious, uneducated, dangerous and stubborn, quick to anger with a predisposition towards tyrannical rule, and wholly unsuited to the job of the presidency. He served two terms though because the American people, not the entrenched interests and East Coast elites, saw in him their own hopes and aspirations. He remains one of our most consequential presidents. Just food for thought on this 200th Anniversary of the “Corrupt Bargain”.
[1] Meacham, John, “American Lion, Andrew Jackson in the White House”, Random House, New York, 2009, p. 44
[2] Ibid. p. 46
