Jacksons Presidency
...have taken place, however this event made Andrew Jackson famous for an
astonishing victory over the British. In 1824 Jackson runs for president against John Quincy
Adams. The war hero, Jackson, clearly won the campaign by popular vote. But he did not
receive two thirds of the total electoral vote. Since Jackson and Adams were both so close in the
election the House of Representatives had to choose the top three candidates. Henry Clay was
the candidate which was left out, but, he was a speaker of the House and therefore had the power
to have the election won by his favorite candidate. Clay only saw Adams as a correct choice as
the new president. So Clay strikes up a deal with Adams, if Adams makes him the Secretary of
State Clay will make Adams president. As shady as this seems it was not illegal. This event was
the Corrupt Bargain of 1824. Adams won the election, but his presidency for the next four years
was a failure.
Andrew Jackson began his campaign for the election of 1828 right after Adams won in
1825. During the election of 1828 Jackson and Adams attack each others character and previous
wrong doings. Both sides had brought mudslinging to a new low. However Jackson became the
president during this election. Like most presidents before him, Jackson gave his friends jobs,
spoils system was in effect. Jackson defended the spoils system by saying people in office
should have the same ideas and thoughts so he Adams men had to go. Samuel Swartwout, one of
Jackson's cronies, was a risky person to put into office. Jackson still put him into office as a sort
of tax collector, Swartwout nine years later had stolen around 1 million dollars from the
government. Adams felt the pain from tariffs and now Jackson felt it. Jacksonites had tried to
pass a high tariff bill for...
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