From Adams to Jackson
The
Era of Good Feelings came to a close as sectional rivalries were revealed in the
elections of 1824 and 1828.
Four
Republicans ran for the Presidency in the election of 1824.
Candidate
Region
Electoral Votes
Andrew
Jackson Tennessee, Western States
99
John
Quincy Adams Massachusetts,
Northeastern States
84
William
H. Crawford
Georgia, Southern States
41
Henry
Clay
Kentucky, National Leader
37
Jackson
won a plurality of the electoral votes and a majority of the popular votes.
The
House of Representatives chose Adams after Clay told his supporters to vote for
Adams. Clay regarded Jackson as unfit for office and said speaking of Jackson's
famous victory in the War of 1812, “I cannot believe
that killing 2,500 Englishman at New Orleans qualifies for the various,
difficult and complicated duties of the Chief Magistracy.” Clay then became
Secretary of State under Adams.
Jackson
called this a “corrupt bargain” and vowed to defeat Adams in 1828.
John
Quincy Adams as President: Utter Frustration
Able,
hard worker, great intellect
Lacked the
common touch and the politicians gift for maneuver
Refused
to play the game of patronage
Proposed
a bold plan to pass laws improving agriculture, commerce, manufacturing,
mechanical arts, fine arts, literature, sciences (even astronomy); also proposed
protectionist tariffs
Wanted to
use broad federal powers to implement this plan whether the people supported it
or not (an arrogant move by a minority president)
Cited example of the nations of Europe and their rulers (a suicidal move in the United States where the popular feeling against aristocracy and for equality was rising)
Jefferson
said his plan was similar to “a single and splendid government of an
aristocracy founded on banking institutions, and moneyed corporations under the
guise and cloak of ....manufacturers, commerce, and navigation, riding and
ruling over a plundered ploughman and beggared yeomanry”
The
Election of 1828
Both
Jackson and Adams ignored the issues of the day and resorted to shameless
personal attacks.
Adams
was denounced by the Jacksonians:
Corrupted
by foreigners in the courts of Europe
Lived his
entire adult life on the public treasury
Allegedly
delivered an American girl to the lust of Czar Alexander while serving as
minister to Russia
A
gambler
and spendthrift
Puritanical
hypocrite for despising common people and warning Congress to ignore the will of
constituents
The
“corrupt bargain” with Henry Clay
Jackson
was denounced by Adams supporters:
Hot-tempered
ignorant barbarian
Conspirator
with Aaron Burr
Participant
in repeated duels and frontier brawls
His fame
based on his reputation as a killer
Jefferson
pronounced him unfit due to his rashness
Lived in
adultery with his wife Rachel before they were married
[In
fact the two had lived together in the mistaken belief that her divorce from a
former husband was final. Rachel’s worry over this humiliation may have
contributed to an illness from which she died before her husband took office.
This was the one thing for which Jackson could never forgive his enemies.]
How
Jackson won a sweeping victory over Adams:
The
spirit of democracy had effected the common folk; they were no longer satisfied
to look to their betters for leadership as they had been in the age of Jefferson
It had
become so politically fatal to be labeled an aristocrat that even young
Federalists eager to shed the stigma of aristocracy joined his coalition
Small farmers, workers, artisans, small merchants in towns, landed gentry joined forces to combat rising commercial and manufacturing interests
By 1828
most white male citizens had won the right to vote
Other
features of government were liberalized – reapportionment in line with
population, disestablished of the Congregational Church
The spread of suffrage brought a new type of politician to the fore – the masses were looking for someone who would become an advocate of the people’s right to rule
Jackson was this man. He came from the people, was a frontiersman born into poverty who scrambled up in the world by his will and tenacity
Jackson made no pretense of profound learning; frequently he allowed his emotions to speak for him
Jackson’s
supporters were adept at organizing and mobilizing the masses
The
election results:
Electoral Votes
Popular Votes
Regions
Jackson
178 647,000
South, West, NY, Penn
Adams
83
509,000
New England
My
favorite Jackson quote:
“Any
man who can only think of one way to spell a word is a damn fool.”