History Cold Case #1824
Did a “Corrupt Bargain” Occur?
February 11, 2012
Teaching American History Grant
Freedom Project
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Research Lesson Plan: Election of 1824 –Was there a “corrupt bargain?”
Author(s): Fran O’Malley
Targeted Grade Level: 4-12
Essential Question: Did a “Corrupt Bargain” Occur?
Formative Assessment Prompts:
Instructional Chunk #1: what Constitutional procedures are in place for electing Presidents of the
United States?
Instructional Chunk #2: what was the “corrupt bargain” in American history?
Instructional Chunk #3: why might there be competing historical accounts or narratives?
Standard Addressed:
Grade 4-5 Options
 [H1] Students will study historical events and persons within a given time frame in order to
…identify related cause-effect factors.

[H2b] Students will examine historical materials relating to a particular region, society, or
theme…and analyze change over time.

[H3] Students will explain why historical accounts of the same event sometimes differ and
relate this explanation to the evidence presented or the point-of-view of the author.
Grades 6-8 Options
 [H1] Examine historical materials relating to a particular region, society, or theme, and analyze
change over time; and make logical inferences concerning cause and effect.

[H2] Examine historical documents, artifacts, and other materials, and analyze them in terms of
credibility, as well as the purpose, perspective, or point of view for which they were
constructed.
Grades 9-12 Options


[H2] Students will examine and analyze primary and secondary sources in order to differentiate
between historical facts and historical interpretations.
[H1] Students will compare competing historical narratives, by contrasting different historians'
choice of questions, use and choice of sources, perspectives, beliefs, and points of view, in
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order to demonstrate how these factors contribute to different interpretations.
Problematic Prior Knowledge (PPL) Addressed

The people elect the president of the United States.

there is a “given past”

eyewitnesses tell us truthfully what happened

The Secretary of State is the President’s advisor on issues involving the states.
Activating Strategies:
Strategy 1: analyze hypothetical election data.
Key Vocabulary to preview
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


Plurality
Cold case
Disposition
Secretary of State
Teaching Strategies:


data analysis
document analysis
Graphic Organizer(s) Used:
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T-chart.
Materials Needed:
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Class copies of Handouts 1, 2, 3.
Poster paper.
Markers.
Differentiation Strategies:

Paired reading.
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Instructional Plan:
Introduction: Ask students if they have ever heard of the term “cold case.” [they may mention the TV
show] Ask if anyone can explain what a cold case is. Tell them that it refers to a crime or an accident
that has not yet been solved to the full and is not the subject of a recent criminal investigation. Suggest
that history is filled with “cold cases,” one of which you are going to see if they can close today. Ask
them to think of themselves as investigators. At the end of the lesson, they will be asked to fill out a
brief “Cold Case” report in which they close, or keep open, the “history cold case” and explain their
findings.
Consider having the student do a Frayer Model around the term “cold case.”
But before the investigation begins, you have to lay some groundwork.
Instructional Chunk #1: Data/Document Analysis
Procedures
1. Project Figure 1 on the overhead.
Previously Held Office
Vice-president
Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Figure 1
President A
President B
President C
President D
2. Ask the students…
o What pattern or trend emerges from the data? (Office of Secretary of State appears to be
the stepping stone to the Presidency)
3. Project Figure 2 on the overhead
Qualifications
Candidate A
Talented Secretary of State
Candidate B
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Candidate C
Treasurer
Candidate D
Military Hero
Figure 2
4. Ask the students…

Which candidate seems most qualified to be President of the United States? Why?
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
Which candidate seems least qualified to be President of the United States? Why?
5. Project Figure 3 (below). Tell students that these are the results of a hypothetical, presidential election.
Ask them to look over the results.
Candidate
Popular Results
Electoral Results
A
108, 740
84
B
47,136
37
C
46,618
41
D
153, 544
99
6. Ask students…

Which candidate received the most popular votes?

Which candidate received the most electoral votes?

Which candidate became President of the United States?

Was the result surprising in light of who you thought was most and least qualified?
7. Project or distribute copies of Figure 4: Amendment XII (below)
Amendment Twelve, United States Constitution (1804)
“if no person have such a majority [of electoral votes], then from the persons having
the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the
House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President…”
Figure 4
8. Ask students to read the excerpt from Amendment XII.
9. Tell them that there are 3 important provisions of this Amendment. Ask them to identify the three.

Point 1: a candidate has to receive a majority of electoral votes to win a Presidential election,

Point 2: if a candidate does not receive a majority of electoral college votes, the House of
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Representatives elects the President;

Point 3: only the candidates receiving the 3 highest number of popular votes is eligible for
consideration in the House election.
10. Ask students…

Why was this section of the Twelfth Amendment so relevant in the election of 1824?

How many electoral votes were needed to win the election of 1824 (count all the votes, divide
by two and add one)? 131

Which candidate received a majority of electoral college votes? (no one. Candidate D received a
“plurality” of popular votes but not a “majority” i.e. 50% + 1. Consider having the students add
up the total votes in Column 3, Figure 3 then dividing the total by 2. This will prove that no one
received a majority of electoral votes. Total votes cast was 261. A majority would have been
131. Candidate D only received 99 electoral votes).

Once the general election results were known, who was given authority under the Constitution
to choose the President in 1824? House of Representatives

Review the backgrounds (Figure 2) of the four candidates for the Presidency in 1824. Did any of
the candidates seem to be at an advantage now that the House of Representatives would choose
the next President? (Henry Clay – Speaker of the House who was elected to be Speaker by the
majority of congressmen in the House and who wields considerable influence in that
body…where the next president will be elected!!!)

Under the Twelfth Amendment, who was disqualified from running in the House election and
why? (Henry Clay – Speaker of the House)

Despite his “Constitutional” elimination from the race in 1824, was there any way in
which Henry Clay could benefit politically from the situation in which he found
himself? (he could use his influence in the House to get one candidate elected)
Instructional Chunk #2: The Story Behind the Data
Procedures
1. Tell the students that the data was not hypothetical. It is data from early Presidential elections in U.S.
history. Election of 1824. Project Figure 5 (below).
President
1st George Washington
2nd John Adams
Year He Was
Federal Office Held Before Elected
First Elected
1788
1796
Washington’s Vice-President
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3rd Thomas Jefferson
4th James Madison
5th James Monroe
Candidate
John Quincy Adams
Henry Clay
William Crawford
Andrew Jackson
Washington’s Secretary of State
Adam’s Vice-President
1808
Thomas Jefferson’s Secretary of State
1816
James Madison’s Secretary of State
Figure 5: Prior Offices Held by Early US Presidents
1800
Section
New England
Experience
President Monroe’s talented Secretary of
State
West
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Southeast
President Monroe’s Secretary of the Treasury
Southwest
Hero of the battle of New Orleans
Figure 6: Candidate in Presidential Election of 1824
Candidate
John Quincy Adams
Henry Clay
William Crawford
Andrew Jackson
Popular Votes Received
108,740
47,136
46,618
153,544
Electoral Votes Received
84
37
41
99
Figure 7: Results of Election of 1824
2. Mini Lecture: Project Figure 7 as you explain the following
As was the case in the Presidential election of 1820, the Republican Party faced on serious
challenge. The disloyalty of the Federalists during the War of 1812, as highlighted by their
perceived threats at the Hartford Convention, brought about the dissolution of the Republicans’
rival party.
Nevertheless, within the Republican Party a number of people wanted to become President.
Four individuals ran serious campaigns and received support from within the different sections of
the country that they represented.
By the time the House of Representatives met to make its decision, one man suffered a physical
setback. William Crawford suffered a serious stroke that left him a paralytic wreck, unable to walk
normally or speak distinctly. The race came down to a choice between Andrew Jackson and John
Quincy Adams.
As a result of placing fourth in the electoral vote, Henry Clay was eliminated BUT, as Speaker
of the House that would now choose the President, Clay’s influence was viewed as pivotal.
3. Discussion: ask the students… “If you had been Henry Clay, how might you have used your
influence to benefit from the situation in which you now found yourself?”
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4. Mini-Lecture: share the following information with the students:
After a lengthy private conference with John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay (Adams’ former
opponent), threw his powerful support to Adams. The House of Representatives elected Adams
to the Presidency on February 9, 1825. Three days later, President-elect Adams formally offered
the position of Secretary of State to (you guessed it) - Henry Clay.
The supporters of Andrew Jackson (who had received more popular and electoral votes than
Adams in the general election) were both suspicious and angry. They accused Adams and Clay
of entering into a “corrupt bargain” through which Adams had “purchased” the Presidency from
Henry Clay. Jackson, they claimed, had been cheated out of the Presidency!
5. Debrief: ask the students…

Explain the “corrupt bargain” that allegedly took place during the Election of 1824.

Is it fair to say that Andrew Jackson was cheated out of the Presidency in 1824?

What important political effects do you think the “corrupt bargain” might have had on
American political history?
Instructional Chunk #3: Was there a “corrupt bargain?” Examining Evidence.
Procedures
1. Review: ask a volunteer to explain the details surrounding the alleged corrupt bargain of 1824.
2. Brainstorm: Ask students what might be useful sources or documents that might be analyzed to
determine whether a “corrupt bargain” actually occurred in the election of 1824. Post responses
on the board. Lead a whole class analysis of the responses then try to get the class to consider
ones they may have overlooked.
Consider having the students categorize [a T-chart will work nicely here] the sources into
primary and secondary. Did one type appear more often? Why? This offers an opportunity to
explore students thinking about whether primary sources are better than secondary sources.
3. Document Analysis: tell students that they are now going to examine some evidence relating to
the “history cold case” involving the alleged “corrupt bargain.” Distribute file folders labeled
“Investigative Files: History Cold Case” containing copies of Handout 1: Diary of John Quincy
Adams.
Read-Pair-Share: assign students a partner [Differentiation Tip: pair skilled readers with
struggling readers. Have students read the passages on Handout 1 individually then, using
“library voices,” share their thoughts with their partner. Ask them to focus their discussion
around the following questions:
 What kind of document did they examine? Why should this question be asked?
 Who wrote the document? Why should this question be asked?
 When was the document written? Why should this question be asked?
 Did this document suggest that Adams and Clay entered into a “corrupt bargain?”
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
Explain.
What was not in the document that you might have hoped or expected to be there? Why
might it not be there?
Have students repeat Procedure 4 using the documents found on Handouts 2, 3, and 4.
4. T-Chart: have student work with their partners to complete T-Charts on which they list
“Evidence Suggesting a Corrupt Bargain” and “Evidence Suggesting No Corrupt Bargain.”
Summarizing Question: Does the evidence you examined suggest that John Quincy Adams
and Henry Clay entered into a “corrupt bargain” to win the Presidential Election of 1824?
Explain.
5. Debrief: ask the students…
 What is an eyewitness account?
 Which, if any of the documents that you analyzed, are “eyewitness” accounts?
 Were the eyewitness accounts truthful?
 Did the eyewitness accounts settle the dispute over what “really” happened in the
election of 1824 i.e. with regards to whether there actually was a “corrupt bargain?”
6. Exploring Effects: Project Handout #7. Describe the evolution of political parties in the United
States up to 1824. Highlight the fact that the period from 1817-1825 was unique in that there
was only one party supported by the people of the United States. This period in American
history is known as the “Era of Good Feelings.” Although we may not know whether a “corrupt
bargain occurred in 1824, we do know that it contributed to some very important developments
(effects) including:
a. The birth of a new political party called the Democratic Party organized by supporters of
Andrew Jackson who felt cheated out of the election of 1824.
b. The restoration of the 2 party political system in the United States.
c. A very contentious campaign leading up to the presidential election of 1828.
Extension Activity: Campaigning for 1828 Election
Procedures
1. Create Campaign Posters: Ask students to pretend that it is 1828 and the nation is gearing up for the
Presidential election.
Assign the students to play roles as campaigners for the major candidates in the election. Assign groups
of students to the following teams:
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Team A – Jackson supporter (running a positive campaign).
Team B – Jackson supporter (running a negative campaign).
Team C – Adams supporter (running a positive campaign).
Team D – Adams supporter (running a negative campaign).
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Distribute copies of Handout 6 – “Election of 1828: Campaign Information.” Have the students
create campaign posters to rally support for their candidate. The posters may highlight the positive
aspects of their candidate or the negative aspects of the opponent.
Coach the students on media strategies. Modern media specialists suggest that there are three things that a
campaign has to do when presenting its candidate to the public:

Define your candidate (before the opponent does). What do you want voters to know about him or
her?

Define your opponent (before the opponent does). What do you want voters to know about him or
her?

Define the issues in the election. What is at stake when the voters cast their ballots?
2. Modeling: Hang the students’ posters around the room when they finish creating their posters.
Point to any poster. Ask the students the following questions aligned with History Standard 2
(be sure to have them explain their answers):

What is the purpose of the poster?

From whose perspective was it created?

What is the point of view of the people who created the poster?

Is the information on the poster credible?

What are some facts embedded in the poster? What are some interpretations embedded in
the posters.
3. Check for Understanding/Summarizing Activity: Have students visit 1-2 more posters in
small groups to address the same questions at posters created by others. Or, put students in
small groups and give each group a poster that they did not create. Have them analyze the
poster using the same questions.
Summarizing Strategy:
describe how you will get students to summarize what they have
learned in this lesson. This involves summative summarizing.
Students are to complete the “History Cold Case” investigation form (below)
Investigative Report
History Cold Case
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History Cold Case: “Corrupt Bargain”
Case First Opened: 1825
Case Disposition (circle one):
Remains Open (“cold”)
Case Closed
Date of Disposition:
Conclusion Explained:
Reasoning/Evidence:
Signature of Investigator:
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Handout 1
Diary of John Quincy Adams
Document 1
Diary Entry 1
[Edward] Wyer [confidential informant] came also to
the office [State Department], and told me that he had it
from good authority that Mr. Clay was much disposed to
support me, if he could at the same time be useful to
himself…
I had conversation at dinner with Mr. Clay...
John Quincy Adams (December 15, 1824)
Diary Entry 2 [conversation with R. P. Letcher, member of
the House of Representatives of Kentucky, Clay’s state]:
…The drift of all Letcher’s discourse was much the
same as Wyer had told me, that Clay would willingly
support me if he could thereby serve himself, and the
substance of his meaning was, that if Clay’s friends could
know that he would have a prominent share in the
administration, that might induce him to vote for me…
John Quincy Adams (December 17, 1824)
Diary Entry 3
Mr. Clay came at six, and spent the evening with me in
a long conversation explanatory of the present and
prospective of the future.
John Quincy Adams (January 8, 1825)
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Handout 2
Letter to Francis P. Blair
Document 2
The friends of [Jackson] have turned upon me, and
with the most amiable unanimity agree to vituperate
me…The knaves cannot comprehend how a man can be
honest. They cannot conceive that I should have solemnly
interrogated my conscience and asked it to tell me seriously
what I ought to do. That is should have enjoined me not to
establish the dangerous precedent of elevating, in this early
stage of the Republic, a military chieftain, merely because
he has won a great victory…
Mr. Adams, you know well, I should never have
selected, if at liberty to draw from the whole mass of our
citizens for a President. But there is no danger in his
elevation now, or in time to come. Not so of his competitor,
of whom I cannot believe that killing two thousand five
hundred Englishmen at New Orleans qualifies for the
various, difficult, and complicated duties of the Chief
Magistracy.
Letter: Henry Clay to Francis P. Blair (January 29, 1825)
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Handout 3
Letter to Francis P. Blair
Document 3
I observe what you kindly tell me about the future
Cabinet. My dear sir, I want no office. When have I shown
an avidity for office? In rejecting the mission to Russia and
the Department of War under one administration? In
rejecting the same Department, the mission to England, or
any other foreign mission under the succeeding
administration? If Mr. Adams is elected, I know not who
will be his Cabinet. I know not whether I shall be offered a
place in it or not. If there should be an offer, I shall decide
upon it, when it may be made, according to my sense of
duty…
Letter: Henry Clay to Francis P. Blair (February 4, 1825)
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Handouts 4
Andrew Jackson on the Alleged “Corrupt Bargain”
Document 4
To William Berkeley Lewis
(private)
Senate Chamber
Janry 24th. 1825
Dear Major
I wrote you in great haste the other day in which I gave you the rumors that were
in circulation of intrigue, union, and corruption, about the Pl. election – I am told it has
this morning developed itself, & that Mr Clay has come out in open support of Mr
Adams – This, for one, I am pleased with – It shews the want of principle in all
concerned – and how easy certain men can abandon principle, unite with political
enemies for self agrandisement. I have said I was pleased with this development; it will
give the people a full view of our political weathercocks here, and how little confidence
ought to be reposed in the professions of some great political characters…
Andrew Jackson
Document 5
To William Berkeley Lewis
City of Washington
Fbry 14th. 1825
Dear Major
I am informed this day by Colo. R[ichard] M[entor] Johnston of the Senate that
Mr Clay has been offered the office of Sec of State, and that he will accept it Mr Clay
told Colo. J the above – so you see the Judas of the West has closed the contract and
will receive the thirty pieces of silver – his end will be the same. Was there ever
witnessed such a bare faced corruption in any country before…
Andrew Jackson
Document 4
“Clay voted for Adams and made him President and Adams made Clay secretary of
state . . . Is this not proof as strong as holy writ of the understanding of corrupt coalition
between them?”
Andrew Jackson, 1844
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Handout 5
Chronology of a Bargain
 November 3, 1824:
“general” presidential election takes place.
 January 8, 1825:
dinner together.
John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay have
 February 9, 1825:
House of Representatives elects John
Quincy Adams president of the United States.
 February 12, 1825:
John Quincy Adams appoints Henry Clay to
be his Secretary of State.
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Handout 6
Political Party Development in the United States
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Handout 7
Campaign Information – Election of 1828
Separate Handout
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Handout 8
Summative Task
Investigative Report
History Cold Case
Directions: Now that you have completed your investigation of the History Cold
Case, you must fill out the following report that explains your investigative
conclusions. Is the case involving the alleged “corrupt bargain” still “cold,” or
closed?
History Cold Case: _________________
Case First Opened: _________________
Case Disposition (circle one):
Closed
Remains Open (“cold”)
or
Case
Date of Your Disposition:
Disposition/Conclusion Explained:
Reasoning/Evidence:
Signature of Investigator: ____________________________________
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