Who was the rightful winner of the 1824 election?

[Frodo]

Vote.....

[PBrunsel]

Adams was, does not matter who wins the popular vote. The popular vote has and will alwys be worthless in a Presidential Race. Adams won in the House, that was where the election was. Jackson caught on too late, and that is that.

[Dr. Cynic]

I believe that the electoral system is incompotent. This election was one of several to prove so. Jackson won the popular AND electoral vote, ergo, should have become President.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Had 1824 been a normal two candidate election between Adams and Jackson, Clay would certainly have been backing Adams, so Adams would have easily gained Kentucky.  While Crawford won Virginia, Adams did much better than Jackson there in 1824 so he would have gotten that state.  Hard to say how Ohio would have gone, while Missouri would certainly have been in Jackson's camp with its 3 EVs.  However, if 1824 had been a two-horse race, Adams would have handily won, and without the so-called "corrupt bargain" to campaign on, he would have been relected in 1828 as well.

[skybridge]

There was an actual deal struck in the House to make Adams win the election...

This is one of those elections that puzzle without end. Even if not symbolically so, there is reason to believe that Adams's policies (founding infrastructure, education, etc.) would have helped the commoners more than Jackson's (pet banks, etc).

[minionofmidas]

Jackson was far from a majority in the pv. Impossible to say who would have won a Cajun style runoff or an IRV election.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

There was an actual deal struck in the House to make Adams win the election...

Doubtful, and hardly corrupt if it did occur.  Clay detested Jackson.  It certainly did not require the offer of being Secretary of State to make Clay support Adams.  It was also doubtful that Clay wanted the Secretary of State job so as to be heir apparent.  After all, in 1824 Crawford, not Adams had been the choice of the DR caucus with only an untimely stroke (from which he recovered) causing him to lose support and thus the Presidency.  Rather given the closeness in their political positions, it is not surprising that Adams would offer and Clay would accept without the need for a quid pro quo.  The Speaker's post in 1825 was not as powerful then as it would later become, which is one reason that there were so many Speakers early on.  The only powerful Speaker of the House in the first American century was Clay and that was because of him, not his post.

[PBrunsel]

I believe that the electoral system is incompotent. This election was one of several to prove so. Jackson won the popular AND electoral vote, ergo, should have become President.

No Lawrence, he failed to win in the House. Jackson was not exempt from the Constituion...although he thought he was.

[MasterJedi]

Adams was, does not matter who wins the popular vote. The popular vote has and will alwys be worthless in a Presidential Race. Adams won in the House, that was where the election was. Jackson caught on too late, and that is that.

^^^^^

[minionofmidas]

I believe that the electoral system is incompotent. This election was one of several to prove so. Jackson won the popular AND electoral vote, ergo, should have become President.

XLth Amendment - No clause in this document shall be construed to apply to Andrew Jackson.

No Lawrence, he failed to win in the House. Jackson was not exempt from the Constituion...although he thought he was.

[Bdub]

John Quincy Adams won it the legal way.  He won it in the House which was the right way when there was no electoral majority.

[TomC]

Adams was the legitimate winner. Probably the sense of a stolen election helped Jackson's popularity, though.

[Bugs]

The demise of the Federalist Party caused the situation where four major candidates would vie for the presidency, thus throwing it to the House.  That any mud was slung was made likely by the fact that Jackson was so adept at making political enemies.  If a deal was struck, which is not certain, Jackson probably had it coming.  A different Andrew Jackson, one with the same political stature but a milder personality, probably would have won in 1824.