Which of the following statements is true?
a The Election of 1824 is referred to as the “corrupt bargain.”
b In the Election of 1800 and of 1824, the winner of the popular vote did not secure the electoral vote.
c As a result of the Election of 1824, a constitutional amendment clarifying the Electoral College was ratified.
d The Electoral College was created at the onset of our constitution to encourage all eligible persons to vote directly for the president of their choice.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is a: “The Election of 1824 is referred to as the ‘corrupt bargain.'”
Explanation:
The 1824 U.S. presidential election is one of the most controversial in American history. It involved four major candidates: Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and William Crawford. Andrew Jackson won the most votes in both the popular vote and the Electoral College but did not secure a majority of electoral votes, which was required under the rules of the time. Since no candidate received a majority of electoral votes, the decision went to the House of Representatives, where each state delegation cast one vote.
In the House, John Quincy Adams was elected president, largely due to the influence of Henry Clay, who was Speaker of the House. Clay’s support for Adams was seen by many as a political deal—some believed Adams promised Clay a position in his administration if he delivered the votes. After Adams appointed Clay as his Secretary of State, Jackson and his supporters accused them both of striking a “corrupt bargain.”
This situation led to widespread dissatisfaction among Jackson’s supporters, who felt that the will of the people had been ignored. The election results contributed to Jackson’s victory in the 1828 election, where he used the “corrupt bargain” narrative to rally his base.
Regarding the other choices:
- b is incorrect: While the winner of the popular vote did not win the electoral vote in the 1824 election, this was not the case in the 1800 election, where Thomas Jefferson won both the popular and electoral votes.
- c is incorrect: Although the events of 1824 caused significant political consequences, no constitutional amendment was passed immediately after to clarify the Electoral College. However, the 12th Amendment, passed in 1804, had already made some adjustments to how the president and vice president were elected.
- d is incorrect: The Electoral College was created in 1787, not with the intention to encourage direct voting, but rather to balance the influence of large and small states in presidential elections.
Thus, a is the best option as it directly refers to the “corrupt bargain” accusation that emerged from the 1824 election.