h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I suppose most of you have heard the story of the son of a former US President who decided to run for the same office. After an inconclusive election, he managed to manipulate the system and have himself sworn into office.

I am, of course, referring to the US presidential election held in 1824.

There were four major candidates for the office; William H Crawford was the official candidate of the Democrat-Republicans (who had become the only significant party after the collapse of the Federalists), Andrew Jackson - who had gained fame as the victorious general at the battle of New Orleans A87726946, John Quincy Adams - the son of the 2nd President also the sitting Secretary of State, and Henry Clay - the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Andrew Jackson received 41% of the popular vote, followed by Adams with 30%, Clay had 13% while. Crawford finished with 11%.

Under the US Constitution A525278 the President is not elected by the popular vote, but by the Electoral College, which is designed to give more power to the smaller States (this is still true today). In 1824 a total of 131 votes were required for a victory. Jackson had 99 votes and Adams was second with 84. If there is no clear winner the top three candidates are placed on a ballot in the House of Representatives who vote to select the winner. As the speaker, Henry Clay (who was fourth and thus eliminated from the ballot) was in charge of this vote and in a position that could influence the outcome.

Adams won on the first ballot with the vote of 13 states, Jackson followed with seven states and Crawford only managed four.

One of the first actions of the president-elect was to appoint Henry Clay as his Secretary of State. Jackson immediately accused the two of them of a 'Corrupt Bargain' that would become a major factor in the election of 1828 - but that is another tale.

F S

[Amy P]

I am an internet acquaintance of someone who is a direct descendant of Adams. I shall never look at them (virtually) in the same way again.

Ah, professional politicians... they don't even look like the rest of us. They are shiny, like new cars with tinted windows; you try to look into their heart and all you see is your own reflection.

Mag

Living in the Boston area, I seem to keep meeting Adams descendants right and left -- all of them interesting and intense. I doubt that John Adams had a boring gene in his gene pool.