The U.S. Election of 1824 Trivia Quiz

Answer: John C. Calhoun was the U.S. vice-president.

In the fall of 1824, there were 24 states in the Unites States, including Maine and Missouri, which had joined the Union in 1820. There were 261 total electoral votes available to candidates for the White House. The president of the USA was James Monroe of Virginia; however, his vice-president was Daniel Tompkins, not John C. Calhoun. Calhoun, a native of South Carolina, was secretary of war in the Monroe Administration in 1824. Calhoun would later serve as vice-president during the John Quincy Adams years (1825-1829). Calhoun also served as Andrew Jackson's first vice-president, before resigning in 1832.

Answer: Democratic-Republican

The Democratic-Republican Party was the major political group in the United States during the first 25 years of the 19th century. Presidents Jefferson, Madison and Monroe were all members of this party. Generally speaking, members of this party believed in limiting federal government power.

Many of the beliefs of the Democratic-Republicans arose from Thomas Jefferson, who opposed the "strong government" philosophy of Federalist Alexander Hamilton in the early days of the USA. After the election of 1824, the Democratic-Republican Party splintered into several different groups. Andrew Jackson would be labeled as a "Democrat", while John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay would formulate many of the ideas which eventually led to the creation of the "Whig" Party.

Answer: Secretary of State

In 1824, John Quincy Adams was the secretary of state in the Monroe Administration. This native of Massacusetts had extensive experience in U.S. government, both as an ambassador (1797-1801; 1809-1814) and as a member of the United States Senate (1803-1808).

His father, John, was the second U.S. president. John Q. Adams probably discussed his impressive government experience during the presidential campaign of 1824. Adams served as President Monroe's secretary of state from 1817 to 1825 prior to becoming the sixth chief executive of the USA.

Answer: Old Hickory

Andrew Jackson, born in the Carolinas, considered himself to be the "people's candidate" for the White House. Jackson's chief claim to fame before 1824 was his victory over British forces at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. Jackson earned his nickname "Old Hickory" from his soldiers, who claimed that he was "as tough as hickory." Jackson didn't attend college, but he was a shrewd politician who viewed himself as a defender of the Union. "Old Hickory" would remain a central force in U.S. politics until his death in 1845.

Answer: Georgia

William Harris Crawford was born in Virginia in 1772, but he moved to Columbia County, Georgia, in 1783. Crawford received his license to practice law in Lexington, Georgia, in 1799. He represented the Peach State first as a House member from 1803 to 1807 and then as a U.S. Senator from 1807 to 1813. Crawford also served as secretary of the treasury for Presidents Madison and Monroe from 1816 to 1825. Crawford was thus one of the most important politicians of his era.

Answer: Speaker of the House of Representatives

Veteran politician Henry Clay was the Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1824. Clay served as House Speaker from 1811 to 1825 and was known as "The Great Compromiser." Clay helped to create the Compromise of 1820, which allowed Maine and Missouri to enter the Union. Clay hailed from Kentucky but viewed the preservation of the Union as his most important political responsibility. Clay remained a powerful national figure until his death in 1852.

Answer: He suffered a stroke.

In the early 1820s, William Crawford was considered one of the strongest candidates in the upcoming presidential election of 1824. However, in 1823, Crawford suffered a massive stroke which paralyzed him and left him unable to speak effectively. Although Crawford was disabled, his influence was felt in the 1824 presidential election, particularly in the South.

He received 41 electoral votes and got over 46,000 popular votes in the election.

Answer: It recommended a series of high protective tariffs.

John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay did not get along very well, but both of these politicians supported the "American System", a program which called for a series of high protective tariffs against cheaply priced British manufactured goods. Adams and Clay reasoned that such tariffs would protect American industry, particularly in the Northeast.

The "American System" also supported a National Bank of the United States. This economic plan was not defended by most representatives from southern states; they felt that such a program would hurt the cotton industry.

Answer: House of Representatives

The election of 1824 was a hotly contested affair, with two major candidates, Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams, attempting to capture the 131 electoral votes necessary for winning the White House. Unfortunately, neither candidate was able to win 131 electoral votes.

The following four men received electoral votes: Jackson, 99; Adams, 84; William Crawford, 41; and Henry Clay, 37. According to the Twelfth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, if no candidate got a majority of the electoral vote count, then the House of Representatives would decide the winner.

In February 1825, the House members voted Adams in as the nation's sixth president, reportedly by just one vote.

Answer: appointed Henry Clay as his secretary of state.

When President John Quincy Adams formed his new cabinet, he selected Henry Clay to be his secretary of state. Clay served the Adams Administration in this post from 1825 to 1829. Andrew Jackson and his supporters bitterly denounced this appointment. Jackson angrily labeled Clay as a "Judas" and a scoundrel. Jackson and his supporters would forever label the election of 1824 as the "corrupt bargain." Jackson vowed to oppose Adams again in the election of 1828.