The DRP Caucus had nominated William H. Crawford for President in the winter of 1824, and this action winnowed the field. Nathaniel Macon had to pull out, since the North Carolina legislature was out of session, and its Caucus slate of Electors was now pledged to Crawford. DeWitt Clinton decided to seek re-election as New York governor. At a Clinton convention where he received the gubernatorial nomination, the delegates nominated Jackson for President and Calhoun for Vice President [New-Hampshire Patriot, 4/19/1824]. One by one, Calhoun's supporters gravitated to other candidates, but he became the candidate for vice president on the Jackson and Adams tickets.

Thus by the summer of 1824, the presidential field had narrowed to four: Crawford, Adams, Jackson, and Clay.

Clay as Speaker of the House took the floor during some debates and set forth his "American System." He first used the term on 3/30/1824 during a debate on the tariff. Clay's proposal involved greater federal involvement in transportation improvements (then called internal improvements) and a tariff to protect the nation's fledgling industry. The presence of the Bank of the United States was critical, since some projects required massive influx of capital at the beginning (such as canals). Clay supporters in Ohio nominated Nathan Sanford of New York as Clay's running mate [New Bedford Mercury, 8/6/1824], and other Clay slates followed suit.

Crawford was unable to campaign. He suffered a stroke in late 1823 which left him temporarily impaired. He was unable to attend Cabinet meetings, could not sign his name, and had trouble walking. His state's rights position was well-known, though his supporters tried to soft-pedal it to keep their support in the North and New England.

Adams was placed in nomination by the Massachusetts state caucus on the day following the national caucus. Adams's supporters tried to convince Jackson to take the vice presidency with him, but Jackson was not interested.

Jackson was serving in the U.S. Senate at the time. The Tennessee legislature had elected him in 1823 so that he could woo other members of Congress and establish electoral slates around the nation. His voting record was remarkably different from most Southerners, as he voted for Clay's internal improvements and high tariff bills.

The three-way vice presidential contest also was winnowed. Gallatin withdrew from the race late in the campaign [Rhode Island American, 10/12/1824]. Crawford asked Clay to run with him, but he refused. Virginia's Caucus ticket nominated Nathaniel Macon, but Georgia's Caucus ticket endorsed Martin Van Buren.

In addition to the four major candidates, the Federalists nominated electoral tickets in several states.

The Philadelphia Gazette ran an article on 10/21/1824 in which it reviewed the state of the election. At that time, it appeared that Crawford was in the lead, but far short of a majority. He was certain to win VA and GA (32 electoral votes) and was leading in NY and NC (51 electoral votes), meaning that he was leading for 83 electoral votes. Jackson appeared heading for second place; he was certain of PA and TN (39 electoral votes) and leading in AL, MS, LA, and SC (24 electoral votes), meaning that he was leading for 63 electoral votes. Adams was certain to sweep New England and gain its 51 electoral votes, and he was leading for New Jersey with eight (total - 59). Henry Clay was certain of winning KY (14 electoral votes) and leading in MO (3 electoral votes), for a total of 17 electoral votes. Two states appeared totally up for grabs - MD and DE with 14 electoral votes. Three northwestern states - IL, IN, and OH - were being contested by Clay, Jackson, and Adams (24 electoral votes).

Casting the Popular Vote

For the first time in American history, the sequence of voting had a major impact on the election. The first states to vote were PA and OH on 10/29, and the last to vote was RI on 11/17. The states choosing Presidential Electors through the legislatures had to make their choices by 11/30.

The first votes were taken in PA and OH. Jackson won PA easily, as expected (76% of the vote). The vote in Ohio was a close three-way race, but Clay won. Information on the results was printed in the various newspapers. With this vote, the projected vote was WHC-84, AJ-63, JQA-59, and HC-33.

Five states voted on 11/1/1824: CT, ME, MA, NH, and VA. As expected, JQA swept the New England states while Crawford won Virginia. While the JQA victory in New England was expected, Crawford's slates were crushed in areas they had hoped to win. Again, news of the vote in these states spread throughout the nation - that JQA was winning dramatic victories.

In the following week, several critical states voted. Jackson pulled off a narrow win in NJ, stripping it from the "leaning Adams" category. In IL, Adams placed first - but the election was by electoral district, and Jackson won two districts to one for Adams. Jackson won MS and TN. Clay won MO handily. The status (won+leading=projection): WHC 24+60=84, AJ 57+21=78, JQA 41+11=52, and HC 33+0=33. Note that newspapers only reporting Presidential Electors chosen were showing Jackson in the lead with Adams second, Clay third, and Crawford fourth.

The last clump of states voted between 11/8 and 11/17. Jackson won AL and NC, Clay won KY, Adams won RI, and MD was split. The surprises were Jackson's margin in MD and that he took NC out of the "leaning Crawford" column. Status (leading votes here to be chosen by legislatures): Jackson 84+16=100, Crawford 25+45=70, Adams 48+7=55, and HC 33+0=33.

Electoral Vote of 1824

Contingent Election of 1825