ANDREW JACKSON’S ELECTIONS By Brad Kimball
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS • Although Andrew Jackson would not be elected until the 1828 election, he did run in the prior election in 1824. In 1824, he ran against John Quincy Adams, and despite winning the popular vote by a wide margin, and winning the electoral vote 99 to 84, he did not have a majority of the electoral votes, and thus the election went to a vote of the House of Representatives, where John Quincy Adams was ultimately elected president.
1828 ELECTION Political Details
THE PARTIES AND THE CANDIDATES Democrat National Republican • Andrew Jackson John Quincy Adams (Incumbent) • Vice Presidential Candidate: Richard Rush • • Vice Presidential Candidate: Served as the 6 th President of the United States, after John C. Calhoun • beating Andrew Jackson in the 1824 election. • The public saw the election of 1824 as After the election of 1824, there was significant • a display of corrupt government, and it controversy over the ethical behavior of John Quincy Adams. It was believed that Adams struck up a bargain lead to Andrew Jackson founding a with Henry Clay. Clay was the speaker of the House of new party called the Democratic Representatives, and thus had significant power to sway party; a party that represented the the results of the 1824 election once it was determined that no candidate had a majority, and a vote of the common man. In1828, Andrew Jackson house would determine the new president. Apparently, would go on to beat Adams by a wide Adams and Clay colluded that if Clay helped Adams win the election, then Adams would appoint Clay as margin as the first president to run as a secretary of state. Secretary of state was seen as a Democrat. stepping stone to the presidency at the time, which explains why such a deal might be made.
CAMPAIGN ISSUES • In his time as president, Adams, a minority president, tried to prove himself by pushing policy initiatives that were too controversial. This over compensation would come back to bite him however, as his activism was widely viewed by the public as a proliferation of corruption. One such policy that was particularly controversial was the so called “American system,” which was a proposal made by Henry Clay to provide Congressional aid to develop the economy by creating subsidies for transportation, and by imposing protective tariffs. • On the other side, proponents of Adams argued that Jackson was not qualified to be president. Supporters of Jackson rejected this, citing his heroism on the battlefield, his unwavering patriotism, and his stark opposition to elitism and corruption. • The National Republicans also targeted Jackson for his personal affairs, including his controversial marriage, his belligerent nature, and instances of hostility towards civilian authority in his time as a military general.
ELECTORAL RESULTS • Jackson won the 1828 election by a significant margin. He won 56 percent of the popular vote, and took home 178 electoral votes. Adams, on the other hand, only received 83 electoral votes. Jackson won in 16 states, 15 of them he won outright, including all of the southern states, as well as all of the western states, and he split the electoral votes in several other states. Adams only won 7 states outright.
MAP OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE *From www.270towin.com
1832 ELECTION Political Details
THE PARTIES AND THE CANDIDATES Democrat National Republican Anti-Masonic Henry Clay Andrew Jackson (Incumbent) • • William Wirt (Former attorney • general) VP: John Sergeant • VP: Martin Van Buren • With the charter of the Bank of the • VP: Amos Ellmaker • Jackson maintained popularity • United States about to expire, Henry throughout his previous term as Clay, Senator from Kentucky, Despite running as an Anti-Mason, • president, however, his spearheaded an initiative to Wirt was actually a Mason himself. administration was not without critics. recharter the bank, and quickly Jackson and his vice president John pushed the bill through Congress. This Wirt was actually hoping to be was partly an attempt to put C. Calhoun had come to severe endorsed by the National Jackson in a difficult situation by disagreements over the nullification forcing him to define his position on Republican party, but despite their crisis. There was also the issue of the the bank, and either signing the bill decision to nominate Henry Clay, petticoat affair, in which the wives of which might lose him supporters, or Jackson’s cabinet members Wirt stayed in the race, although vetoing the bill which could make ostracized secretary of war John him appear to be against sound he knew he had no chance of Eaton’s wife Peggy over their marital banking. Jackson ultimately vetoed winning. the bill, and despite some backlash, status. These events lead to the the veto was well received by many resignation of all members of voters who thought the bank had Jackson’s cabinet except for one. too much power.
CAMPAIGN ISSUES • The introduction of a third party, the Anti-Masons was unprecedented at the time, but it was a significant factor in drawing votes away from Republican Henry Clay, and it ultimately helped Andrew Jackson • Andrew Jackson made the electoral college a campaign issue, as he openly advocated for the dissolution of the electoral college, in favor of a popular vote. This view earned Jackson harsh criticism from strict Constitutionalists. • The major issue of the 1832 election was the rechartering of the national bank of the United States. The Bank’s charter was due to expire in 1836, and up until this time, Jackson had avoided taking a stance on the issue. A large portion of Jackson’s supporters opposed the rechartering of the bank, and when Henry Clay and other Anti-Jackson Congressmen rushed a bill through Congress to recharter the bank, Jackson was faced with a difficult choice. Jackson decided to veto the bill, a move that was received well by voters, and ultimately helped him win another term of the presidency.
ELECTORAL RESULTS • Andrew Jackson won 17 states, and split delegates from Maryland with Henry Clay. He ended up winning both the popular vote, and the electoral vote, with 219 electoral votes. • Henry Clay came in second, however, it was not even close. He only won 6 states, and took home only 49 electoral votes. • William Wirt won New Hampshire, giving him 7 electoral votes. • John Floyd, who was not running as a candidate was nominated by South Carolina.
MAP OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE *From www.270towin.com
DETAILS OF CAMPAIGNS Pertinent music, signs, slogans, buttons, pamphlets, etc.
CAMPAIGN BUTTONS *From www.stickermule.com
CAMPAIGN RIBBONS • A variety of ribbons were produced in honor of Andrew Jackson. They served several purposes. Some were made after his death to honor his life, but another very important way ribbons were used in Jackson’s time was as a campaigning tool. *Photo from http://politicalmemorabilia.com/
CAMPAIGN SLOGANS AND SONGS 1828 1832 Popular Campaign Slogans: • Popular Campaign Slogans: • Democratic Andrew Jackson: “Stand by the Hero” • Democratic: Andrew Jackson “Old Hickory”; “The • Hero of New Orleans” “reform, retrenchment and economy. ” • Washington National Intelligencer: “The Constitution is gone.… It is a dead “Jackson and Reform” • • letter, and the will of a DICTATOR is the Supreme Law .” “Jackson, Calhoun, and Liberty” • William L. Marcy, a Jacksonian said: “to the victor belongs the spoils of the • enemy,” so Jackson’s opponents attacked the “spoils system.” Campaign Song: • Cartoon mocking “King Andrew the First” captioned: “Born to Command,” “of • veto memory” “had I been consulted|.” “Little Know Ye Who’s Comin'” [anti -Jackson] • anti- Jackson editorial: editorials and cartoons are great “but a hickory pole, a • taking cry, a transparency, a burst of sky rockets and roman candles (alas! that “Jackson’s Toast”: Then toast our Jackson, good and • it should be so!) have a potency over a large third of our voters that printed great/,The man whom we admire/ He soon will eloquence can not exert.” mount the chair of state/ Which patriots all desire Campaign Song: • Hickory Wood, The battle of New Orleans and the • Democratic Andrew Jackson Supporters, “Hunters of Kentucky” (Battle of New • Orleans anthem) General Jackson March *Excerpts from presidentialcampaignselectionsreference.wordpress.com
WORKS CITED: • http://www.270towin.com/1828_Election/ • http://www.270towin.com/historical-presidential-elections/timeline/ • http://www.ushistory.org/us/23d.asp • http://millercenter.org/president/biography/jackson-campaigns-and-elections • http://www.history.com/topics/henry-clay • https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1832 • http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/essays/1801-1900/andrew-jackson-and-the-bankwar/the-election-of- 1832.php • https://www.stickermule.com/blog/history-of-political-stickers-buttons • http://politicalmemorabilia.com/political-item/andrew-jackson-political-ribbons/ • https://presidentialcampaignselectionsreference.wordpress.com/overviews/19th-century/1828- overview/ • https://presidentialcampaignselectionsreference.wordpress.com/overviews/19th-century/1832- overview/
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