Question

Was Jackson too focused on the bargain that led to his defeat in 1824 rather than the programs that would help the people?

Answer 1

The way you answer this depends on your opinion, but some might say that Jackson was too focused on the bargain between Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams rather than programs that would help the people. During his election, Andrew Jackson was running on the fact that he was a war hero and a man of the people. After the electoral college vote, neither Jackson nor Adams had the majority, so the vote went to congressional delegates. Henry Clay was the Speaker of the House of Representatives, so he had a lot of weight in political matters. Clay spoke in favor of giving Adams the presidency, which led to Jackson's loss. Adams then made Clay his Secretary of State, which is why their deal is referred to as the "Corrupt Bargain". In the Election of 1828, Jackson ran again. But this time, he won in a landslide. During his presidency, Jackson placed much of his focus on derailing Clay's American System. This economic plan was revolutionary, and it was an important part of Adam's legacy. Therefore, it could also be argued that because President Jackson spent so much time derailing a program that benefitted Americans, he was not focused enough on creating programs that helped the people.