The Politics of Corruption: The Election of 1824 and the Making of Presidents in Jacksonian America

The 1824 U.S. presidential election was a pivotal moment in American political history, marked by the transition from sedate elections to more democratized races. The Republican Party fielded five candidates, including William Crawford, John Quincy Adams, John C. Calhoun, Henry Clay, and Andrew Jackson, who innovated political practices by creating dynamic organizations, sponsoring newspaper networks, and spreading vicious personal attacks. Calhoun's smear campaign ultimately undermined Crawford, while Jackson lost to John Quincy Adams. This defeat inspired Jackson to change the ways American politics was conducted, marking a significant turning point in the nation's political landscape.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 05 July 2022
Publisher: University of Virginia Press

The Politics of Corruption delves into the 1824 U.S. presidential election, a pivotal moment in the nation's political history. This election marked a significant shift from the sedate and elitist elections of the Jeffersonian era to the more extravagant yet democratized presidential races that became characteristic of Jacksonian America. The Republican Party fielded a formidable lineup of five candidates in 1824, including notable figures such as Treasury Secretary William Crawford, Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, Secretary of War John C. Calhoun, Speaker of the House Henry Clay, and War of 1812 hero Andrew Jackson. This book reimagines the 1824 election, often perceived as a dull affair, as one of the most thrilling contests in American history. Through the correspondence and diaries of the principal players, Callahan explores how the five candidates revolutionized political practices by establishing dynamic organizations, supporting vigorous newspaper networks, engaging in congressional legislative battles, and launching vicious personal attacks against each other.

In the end, Calhoun's smear campaign dealt a fatal blow to front-runner Crawford, while self-proclaimed political outsider Jackson managed to equate regular politics with corruption, yet still lost the contest to Washington's ultimate insider, John Quincy Adams. This defeat left a lasting impact on Jackson, inspiring him to fundamentally transform the way American politics was conducted, setting the stage for the more dynamic and contentious presidential races that would characterize the Jacksonian era.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780813948423