1.HowwouldyoudescribepoliticsinAmericapriortotheElectionof1824?

Wellthere'sawordorphraseI'msurethatyou'veheard:theEraofGoodFeelings.And
whatthatreferstoisthattheFederalistpartycollapsedaftertheWarof1812,andso
manyformerFederalistsbecameRepublicansbecauseitwastheonlygroupintown.
AndsomeofthemmadeanearlyshiftJohnQuincyAdamswouldbeoneofthem.His
familywereFederalists,buthechangedduringthewarandbecamea
DemocraticRepublican,partlybecausehesupportedthewar,whichwasunusualfora
lotoftheelitesinNewEnglandbecausetheyfelttheWarof1812hurtcommercial
interestsandalsobecauseNewEnglandbenefittedfromit'sclosecommercialtiesto
Canada.Theydidn'treallywantwarand,ofcourse,theEmbargo[of1807]andthe
disruptionoftradewasveryhardonNewEngland.

TheotherthingisthatmanyRepublicansduringthewar,likeJefferson,wantedtolimit
thegovernmenttheydidn'twantgovernmentspendinganddecidedthattheyneededto
supportastrongermilitary,astrongernavytheyrealizedtheyneededtosupport
manufacturing,especiallyifthingsareimportantforthewarefforts,sotheydecided,
Welllet'shavesomeprotectivetariffstohelpourindustrieslikethoseworkingin
textiles.Let'sthinkaboutimprovinginternalimprovementssowecanmovetroops
better.Weneedbettermodes,weneedbettercanals,weneedtothinkaboutthis.And
theythought,WellmaybewecanrenewtheBankcharter,(whichtheydid)let'shavea
stablenationalbank.Theyweregoingtodepositthefederalproceedsthereandletthat
moneybeletout.Theywantedastrongbanksothatit'sbanknoteswouldpassforhard
currencyorcoins.JohnCalhoun,forinstance,(hewassecretaryofwarunderMonroe)
supportedaveryaggressivebuildupofthenavyandarmy,whichisveryunlikewhat
youwillseefromJohnCalhouninafewyears.Sowhat'shappeningisthere'salotof
mixingandmatchinginotherwordsOkay,we'regoingtoadoptthemorepopuliststyle
andwe'reopentoDemocracy.AndtheRepublicansarestartingtosaythatAlexander
Hamiltonisrightwithhisoriginalpolicies.Oncetheygottowar,theyrealized,Maybe
he[Hamilton]wasright.ThepureoldschoolJeffersoniansstartedtorealizetheywere
losingcontroloftheirpartytopeoplelikeHenryClay,peoplelikeJohnAdams,andto
JohnCalhoun,whoaremovinginadifferentdirection.Soonthesurfaceyouhaveone
party,butbelowthesurfacebothpartiesstillexist.Youstillhavethisfightaboutmilitary
spending,you'vegotthefightaboutthetariff,you'vegotthefightaboutinternal
improvements,youhavethefightaboutthebankingsystem,youhavethiskindof
blossomingofsupportofoldschoolRepublicanswhoembracedthebasicsof
Federalism,whichHenryClaywillrenametheAmericanSystem.Soinotherwords,it
lookslikepeace.


AndthentherewasmoneytakenfromTennesseeandspentonthecoasts,which
angeredJacksonhewasahypocriteaboutinternalimprovementsandsaidthe
AmericanSystemwasexpensive.Andwhenhebecamepresidentlater,whatdidhe
do?Hespentmoreoninternalimprovementsforthepeoplewhocampaignedagainst
him.Butwhathediddowasvetotheinternalimprovementsthatwerescheduledforthe
stateofKentucky.WholivedinKentucky?HenryClay.Sohevetoedtheroadbetween
theOhioRiver,whereClayhadcommercialinterests.Buteveryinternalimprovement
thathelpedTennesseewasrubberstamped.Sothere'salotherethat'sjustplaying,
andwhatyou'reseeingisthattheseguysarejockeying.SouthernplantersputJackson
upastheirnumberonebecausehedislikesthetariffandhe'sanationalherotheythink
they'llgetasouthernertowinbecauseofhisvictoryattheBattleofNewOrleans.Heis
averypopularmanhe'llsupportstatebanks,nottheoneinPhiladelphia[SecondBank
oftheUnitedStates].Soyoucanseethatheisreallythevoiceofthecommontobacco
plantersintheSouth.

Youseethatthesearethecharactersthatareinvolved.Everybodyisamouthpieceto
thepeople,andeverybodyisalsomouthpieceforparticulareconomicpolicies,a
particularregionofthecountry,andforaparticularregionforwhattheRepublicanParty
shouldstandfor.SomearemoreFederalistintheirpolicies,somearemoreRepublican
intheirpolicies,butthey'reallclaimingtobemembersofthesameparty.Andthat's
goingtoblowupin1824.It'sgonnablowupagainin1828,andby1832you'llhavethe
WhigandNationalRepublicansrunningagainsttheJacksonianDemocrats.However
theFederalistpoliciesdidnotdisappearcompletely.

So,didClayandAdamsknowhowcorruptAndrewJacksonandhisbuddieswerein
Tennesseepriortotheelection?Yestheydid.DidtheAmericanpeopleknow?Nothey
didn't.Andsomanythoughtthathe[Jackson]wasgoingtofightagainsttheAmerican
System,fightagainstthevisionarypoliciesofAlexanderHamilton.So,Jackson,asa
planteradvocate,andhissupporters,thoughtdifferently.Soit'scalledaCorrupt
BargainwhenClayandAdamsdecidedtotaketheirsecondandthirdplaceelectoral
votesandcombinethemtogivethemthepresidencyoverJackson,whohadthe
plurality,andAdamsappointedhimashissecretaryofstate.Theiroppositiontohim
wasn'tjustbecauseofhispersonality,butbecauseofhisprinciplesandpolicies.Sothe
electorsagreedwithHenryClayitwasn'tjustClaysupportingAdams.Andthe
AmericanpeopleasawholereallysupportedtheAmericanSystem.SoJackson
thoughtthatifhecoulddisplaythisasacorruptdeal,hecouldbethenextpresidentof
theUnitedStates.TheCorruptBargainiswhatwewouldcallreallygood,dirtypolitics.