Election of 1824 Facts & Worksheets

The tenth Presidential Election of the United States in 1824 had Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and William Crawford as primary contenders. However, there was no clear winner because the election results were inconclusive. No candidate won a majority of the electoral vote. The US House of Representatives eventually elected John Quincy Adams as president.

See the fact file below for more information on the Election of 1824, or you can download our 22-page Election of 1824 worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

BACKGROUND

• During the presidency of James Monroe from 1817 to 1825, there was a reduced emphasis on political party identity, which came to be known as the Era of Good Feelings.
• The former Federalist Party disintegrated, and thus the Democratic-Republican Party remained the sole major political entity in the US at that time. Factions within the group, however, began to arise due to reduced party discipline.
• President Monroe attempted to improve the deteriorating party discipline brought by single-party identification. He appointed John Quincy Adams as Secretary of State, William H. Crawford as Secretary of the Treasury, John C. Calhoun as Secretary of War, and General Andrew Jackson as leader of high-profile military programs. 
• The economic and social crises brought on by the Panic of 1819 and the Missouri crisis of 1820 affected the political landscape of the succeeding years. The negative effects of the crises heavily affected the working class and resulted in an increased demand for democratic control.

NOMINATION PROCESS

• Then incumbent president James Monroe declined his re-nomination for a third term as president. His vice-president Daniel D. Tompkins was also dismissed due to a combination of health issues and financial disputes with the federal government.
• The presidential election was thus left wide open for the Democrat-Republican Party. The congressional caucus sought to nominate William H. Crawford for president and Albert Gallatin as vice president.
• The caucus however was deemed undemocratic because of the sparse attendance, and both candidates withdrew their nominations. The results of the Congressional caucus balloting for the presidential candidate were as follows: Crawford (64), Clay (2), Adams (2), and Jackson (1).

GENERAL ELECTION CANDIDATES

• Secretary of War John C. Calhoun and Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson both withdrew their nominations prior to the elections, leaving Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, House Speaker Henry Clay from Kentucky, Senator Andrew Jackson from Tennessee, and Secretary of the Treasury William H. Crawford as the candidates.

CAMPAIGN

• The campaigning process of the four candidates took different forms. The most popular were through newsprints, such as political cartoons and partisan writings, and through Contrafacta or popular songs and tunes with altered lyrics that suited a candidate’s campaign agenda.
• Most presidential candidates in the 19th century were not directly involved in their campaigning process and left this responsibility to partisans and volunteer citizens to speak on their behalf.
• Presidential candidate John C. Calhoun was an exception because he was serving as an editorial staff of the newspaper The Patriot, allowing him to promote his own political agendas more freely.
• All four candidates drew support from different states and sections. Some dominated in some states while garnering little to no support in others.

RESULTS

• The uneven results from the different states confirmed the candidates’ sectional support, with no clear majority winner. Adams won in New England, Jackson had wide voter appeal, Clay attracted votes from the West, and Crawford attracted votes from the eastern South.
• The House of Representatives eventually decided the results of the election, selecting John Quincy Adams on the first ballot. For the vice presidency, Adams and Jackson supported Calhoun, who easily took the position without the need for a contingent election. 
• This presidential election ultimately signaled the collapse of the Republican-Federalist political framework.

1825 CONTINGENT ELECTION

• At that time, the US only had 24 states, so a majority vote from 13 states was required. Since none of the candidates met these criteria, the US House of Representatives held a contingent election on February 5, 1825, in order to decide the presidential results.
• They chose from the top three candidates who garnered the most votes, namely Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, and William Crawford.
• The fourth candidate Henry Clay used his influence in the House delegates to vote for Adams, securing John Quincy Adams as the sixth president of the United States. Adams gained 13 states, Jackson with 7, and Crawford with 4 states. 
• Adams specifically gained the support of Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont. 

AFTERMATH

• The result surprised Jackson, who dominated both popular and electoral votes. The election was also clouded by a rumor of Clay selling Adams his support, which greatly influenced the decision of Congress.
• Following the appointment of Clay as Secretary of State, Jackson, and his followers had a more solid claim that Clay and Adams had a corrupt bargain. This political issue ensued for 4 years until Adams’ defeat in 1828. 

MORE INFORMATION

• Throughout the history of American politics, three events have been called “corrupt bargain”: the presidential election of 1824 (between Calhoun and Adams), the Compromise of 1877 (between Rutherford Hayes and Samuel Tilden), and the pardon of Richard Nixon by Gerald Ford in 1974. 
• Despite the long attacks of Jacksonians against Adams’ administration, a 1998 mathematical analysis argued that the election was a product of “sincere voting.” 
• The eldest son of the 2nd US president, John Quincy Adams, served as the 6th president (1825-1829). Under his presidency, the Democratic-Republican party was split into two factions: the National Republican Party (Adams) and the Democratic Party (Jackson). 
• Following his father, Adams became the second president to have lost re-election. Instead of retiring from his political life, Adams served in the House of Representatives (1831-1848), which made him the only former president to be elected in the chamber. Until his last breath, Adams opposed Jackson’s administration by joining the Whig Party. While in Congress, he strongly opposed the expansion of slavery, the Mexican-American War, and the annexation of Texas. 
• After his election in 1824, Adams offered Jackson the position of Secretary of War but was declined. In 1828, Jackson defeated Adams, who ran for re-election, and in 1832, incumbent Jackson defeated Clay. Jackson was a two-term US president (1829-1837). Jackson was known for the signing of the Indian Removal Act, dismantling the Second Bank of America, and recognizing the Republic of Texas. 

Election of 1824 Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Election of 1824 across 22 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the Election of 1824. The tenth Presidential Election of the United States in 1824 had Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and William Crawford as primary contenders. However, there was no clear winner because the election results were inconclusive.

Download includes the following worksheets.

1. Election of 1824 Facts
2. Candidate For President
3. Fast Facts
4. Two Political Parties
5. More Questions Please
6. Facts That You Should Know
7. Types of Government
8. Editorial Cartoon
9. Campaign Poster
10. Cultural Relevance
11. That Ugly Election Comics

Frequently Asked Questions

Who were the candidates in the 1824 presidential election?

The candidates were John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William Crawford, and Henry Clay.

Who won the 1824 presidential election?

John Quincy Adams won the 1824 presidential election, but he did not win a majority of the popular or electoral vote. The election was decided in the House of Representatives, where Adams was elected with the support of Henry Clay.

Was the 1824 election significant in American history?

Yes, the 1824 election was significant in American history because it was the first presidential election in which the winner did not receive a majority of the popular or electoral vote, leading to the election being decided in the House of Representatives. It was also significant because it marked the end of the era of good feelings and the start of the era of partisan politics in the United States.

What was the outcome of the 1824 election in the House of Representatives?

In the House of Representatives, John Quincy Adams was elected with the support of Henry Clay, despite Andrew Jackson receiving the most popular electoral votes. This outcome was controversial and led to charges of a “corrupt bargain” between Adams and Clay.

How did the 1824 election impact American politics?

The 1824 election had a significant impact on American politics because it marked the end of the era of good feelings and the start of the era of partisan politics in the United States. The election also set a precedent for future presidential elections to be decided in the House of Representatives if no candidate received a majority of the popular or electoral vote. The controversy surrounding the outcome of the 1824 election also contributed to the development of the modern two-party system in the United States.

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