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. However, since no candidate won a majority of the electoral votes the Twelfth Amendment moved the election to the House of Representatives.

 

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.”