Jacksonian+Democracy+Group+5

1. Relate how the election of 1824 gave rise to charges of a “corrupt bargain” and describe what characterized John Quincy Adams’ presidency (pp. 239-240). 2. Describe the personal characteristics of Andrew Jackson and identify the groups of people who tended to support him—the future Democratic Party. (p. 240—“The Election of 1828”). 3. Describe the Election of 1828 and explain how it could be considered the “first modern election” (pp. 240-241—also the “Then and Now” box on page 240). 4. Identify and explain 4 examples of how Andrew Jackson’s presidency marked a break with the politics of the past (pp. 241-242)

All republicans. William Crawford of Georgia, John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts, Henry Clay of Kentucky, and Andrew Jackson of Tennessee. The election of 1812 had 5 republican candidates compete for the presidency, although soon one dropped out because of illness. Jackson received the most popular votes, but no candidate won the majority of the votes. Clay, being in 4th place, dropped out and encouraged his followers to vote for Adams because he felt Jackson was not a suitable leader. Eventually Adams won the presidency and appointed Clay as his secretary of state, hence the name "corrupt bargain." Appointing Clay as his secretary of state led to widespread suspicion of Adams. Also, his personality was a factor during his time in office, Adams was described as "hard as a piece of granite and cold as a lump of ice." Furthermore, Adams supported many federal programs and projects from canal and roads to a national university and a standardized system of weights and measures. But, Adams seemed unwilling to "play politics" and to compromise with congress, therefore failing to achieve most of his goals. In reality, Jackson was a rich lawyer and planter. But, he consistently portrayed himself as a "man of the people" by stressing his military skills and frontier roots, and his image as a "common man" won the support of farmers, workers, and frontier settlers. This group of supporters later became known as the Democratic Party. Andrew Jackson and John Adams demonstrated a break from traditional campaigning methods in the election of 1828. Instead of using party supporters to campaign for them, Adams and Jackson instead sought votes by themselves. They made use of trinkets, buttons, and flags to gain support. Jackson even appealed directly to voters for support, beginning his campaign three years prior to the election. The spoils system is a practice that became known after Jackson's time in office. To ensure future support from the state branches of their party, leaders would reward political supporters with government appointments. In the election of 1828, candidates focused more on each other’s personalities rather than on issues. Also, candidates such as Jackson and Adams used various techniques to pursue votes, rather than relying on party supporters to do the work. Finally, candidates threw personal attacks around to win votes. Common insults ranged from Adams being named a snob who wasted money on gambling all the way to Jackson being named a murderer and adulterer.
 * 1. Who were the candidates running for President in the election of 1824? **
 * 2. Why did Adams follow through with a "corrupt bargain" at his appointment as president? **
 * 3. What are four characteristics of John Adams' presidency? **
 * 4. How did Jackson get the support of farmers, workers, and frontier settlers? **
 * 5. What campaigning techniques did candidates such as Jackson and Adams use in the election of 1828? **
 * 6. What is the spoils system? **
 * 7. In what ways is the election of 1828 considered the first modern election? **

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