The Election Is in the House: Was There a “Corrupt Bargain?” O’Brien U.S. History 1 CP Was There a “Corrupt Bargain?”
Deal or No Deal?
Evidence Packet:
Election of 1824
Situation: The United States Historical Society is in partnership with the national government and is considering omitting the
Presidency of John Q. Adams from the record books (or at the very least putting an asterisk* next to his name). For this activity your
group is going to play the role of a team of investigators hired to analyze several documents of evidence and decide individually –
whether or not there was a “corrupt bargain” as Andrew Jackson claimed. You are going to answer a variety of analysis questions for
each document to help focus your reading. Upon completion, you are going to:
1.
Draft a bulleted list of the evidence you analyzed. You are to include the title, brief description (1-2 sentences), and it is to
be in chronological order. It can be completed in the format of a chart or spreadsheet.
2.
create a 100+ word Official Report. In this report, you are going to offer your conclusion regarding whether or not a
“corrupt bargain” occurred (or the likelihood that it occurred), and whether or not the Presidency of Adams should be
expunged from the records, or have an asterisk.
You are to weigh the evidence, and carefully choose the exhibits which seem the most credible (believable, not emotionally driven)
and use them to help you arrive at a decision. Be sure to include (and cite) at least 3 pieces of key evidence. Take note of the types of
documents, if there is any reason to doubt the credibility of the document, and the time frame.
1 | P a g e The Election Is in the House: Was There a “Corrupt Bargain?” O’Brien U.S. History 1 CP Introduction to Website (NO AUTHOR INDICATED)–
Henry Clay's appointment as Secretary of State, 7 March 1825.
(Henry Clay Family Papers)
In the presidential campaign of 1824 the candidates were John Quincy Adams
(1767-1848), Henry Clay (1777-1852), William Crawford (1772-1834), and Andrew
Jackson (1767-1845). Clay received the smallest number of votes cast and was
eliminated from the race. Since none of the other candidates had received a majority
of the Electoral College votes, the outcome was decided by the House of
Representatives. Clay used his influence to help deliver the vote of Kentucky's
congressional delegation to Adams, in spite of a resolution by the Kentucky state
legislature that instructed the delegation to vote for Jackson. When Clay was
subsequently appointed to the first place in Adams's cabinet--secretary of state-the Jackson camp raised the cry of "corrupt bargain," a charge that was to follow
Clay thereafter and thwart his future presidential ambitions. Exhibit 1 -­‐ http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=552 Exhibit 2 Andrew Jackson's reaction to the announcement of Clay's appointment:
"The people [have] been cheated. Corruptions and intrigues at
Washington...defeated the will of the people."
—Cited in the Society section of the essay Andrew Jackson: Champion of the
Kingly Commons
"So you see, the Judas of the West [Clay] has closed the contract and will receive the
thirty pieces of silver…Was there ever witnessed such a bare faced corruption in any
country before?"
—Andrew Jackson to William B. Lewis, February 14, 1825
"This, to my mind, is the most open, daring corruption that has ever shown itself
under our government, and if not checked by the people, will lead to open direct
bribery… "
—Andrew Jackson to George Wilson, February 20, 1825
2 | P a g e The Election Is in the House: Was There a “Corrupt Bargain?” O’Brien U.S. History 1 CP A conversation at Church An Eyewitness Account of the Voting in the House of Representatives. This
account was written by Margaret Bayard Smith, who, it should be noted, was
a supporter of William Crawford. They are talking about whispering among
Clay or others with the NY delegate in an effort to convince him to vote for
Adams. The participants in the conversation are in bold.
Bayard Smith: "But it was not very honourable to human nature to see Clay, walking about with exultation
and a smiling face, with a fashionable belle hanging on each arm,--the villain! He looked as proud and
happy as if he had done a noble action by selling himself to Adams and securing his election…
…Said another gentleman, "But Clay…whispered in his ear [the delegate from NY], some one told me he
saw him leave his chair and go and whisper a few words [to the NY delegate]…"
"That is not so," said another. "I heard it was Webster."
"No, not Webster," said Mr. Vale, "I was in the gallery and with my own eyes saw all that passed, just after
he [the NY delegate] had taken his seat in the New York delegation, and a few minutes before the Ballot
box was handed him I saw Scott of Missouri go and whisper in his ear, and some delay certainly did take
place when the Box was handed to the N. Y. delegation."
"Well it comes to the same thing," said Mr. Lowry, "it was Clay after all, for Scott was a mere emissary of
his…Clay got hold of him, he had him with him until late last night. And although his inclination led him to
vote for us [remember they wanted Crawford], Clay had power to persuade him to vote for Adams. …
"And that," said Mr. Cobb, nodding his head, "is fact and the people have been tricked out of the man of
their choice." Exhibit 3 -­‐ http://www.whitehousehistory.org/04/subs/1828_a.html 3 | P a g e The Election Is in the House: Was There a “Corrupt Bargain?” O’Brien U.S. History 1 CP Henry Clay vigorously defended himself in Congress against the "corrupt bargain"
allegations, which were already circulating prior to the final vote in the House; his
statement was entered in the official record.
House Journal --THURSDAY, February 3, 1825.
Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, 1824-1825
The SPEAKER [Clay] rose, and … requested the indulgence of the House for a few
moments, while he asked its attention to a subject in which he felt himself deeply
concerned.
A note had appeared this morning in the National Intelligencer [newspaper], [written
by]… a member of this House from Pennsylvania, (Mr. Kremer)… containing serious and
injurious imputations [accusations] against him, and which the author avowed his
readiness [ability] to [prove]…
[Clay]he hoped that he should be allowed, respectfully, to solicit, in behalf of himself, an
inquiry into the truth of the charges to which he referred [written about him in the
newspaper]…
The House…appeared to him…was the proper place to institute the inquiry, in order
that, if guilty, here the proper punishment might be applied, and if innocent, that here
his character and conduct may be vindicated [corrected, restored] .
He anxiously hoped, therefore, that the House would be pleased to direct an
investigation to be made into the truth of the charges… Exhibit 4 -­‐ http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-­‐bin/query/r?ammem/hlaw:@field(DOCID+@lit(hj01844 4 | P a g e The Election Is in the House: Was There a “Corrupt Bargain?” O’Brien U.S. History 1 CP In The Life of Andrew Jackson (New York: Harper and Row, 1988), Robert Remini
writes that:
The fateful decision came on January 9, 1825. A meeting was arranged between
Adams and Clay for an evening's conversation. "Mr. Clay came at six," Adams confided to
his journal, "and spent the evening with me in a long conversation." In the course of the
conversation Clay asked the New Englander "to satisfy him with regard to some
principles of great public importance, but without any personal considerations for
himself." Nothing crude or vulgar, like declaring the terms of a political deal, passed
their lips. No need. Both men understood one another's purposes. Surely they both
realized that in exchange for House support Adams would designate Clay as his
secretary of state.
*Note: This is a secondary source (a book written by Robert Remini) and as such expresses his
interpretation of what happened. The meeting did happen, and his references to Adams’ journal are true,
but the italicized words are the author’s interpretation – not fact!! In other words, Mr. Remini viewed the
evidence and his conclusion is in italics.
Exhibit 5 Exhibit 6 Diary Entries of John Quincy Adams (1-­‐2 months prior to House Election) Diary Entry 1 [Edward} Wyer [confidential informant] came … to …[my] 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... 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 … [words] was much the same as Wyer had told me, that Clay would willingly support me if he could … [also] 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... December 17, 1824 5 | P a g e The Election Is in the House: Was There a “Corrupt Bargain?” O’Brien U.S. History 1 CP Letters from Henry Clay (2) to Francis P. Blair Letter 1 -­‐ (January 29, 1825) The friends of [Jackson] have turned upon me… [They] cannot comprehend how a man can be honest. They cannot conceive that I … interrogated [asked] my conscience …what I ought to do. That it …[convinced] me not to [support] a military chieftain [Jackson], merely because he has won a great victory... …I [wouldn’t] … have selected [Adams], if [I was able to choose] …from the whole mass of our citizens for a President. But there is no danger in [choosing Adams] now… Not so of his competitor [Jackson], 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 … [presidency]. Letter 2 -­‐ (February 4, 1825) I observe what you kindly tell me about the future Cabinet. My dear sir, I want no office. When have I shown avidity (hunger) for office? 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… according to my sense of duty... Exhibit 7 6 | P a g e