In the 1820s, it was known to be the Era of Good Feelings, where Americans felt united after the War of 1812. Although there was happiness and prosperity in the air, the political climate was quickly changing after the election of John Quincy Adams in 1824. The Era of Good Feelings quickly changed to the era of bad feelings, when the first party system officially was over and the second party system began; and the start of that was the 1826 midterms. Looking at the history between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson, it is seen that this election was an essential element in American political development. Diving deep in the electorate at the time and what those individuals cared about, the way Adams and Jackson campaigned was essential to …show more content…
At the time, the cabinet was selected based on political legitimacy; not political patronage. One of Adams biggest accomplishments as Secretary of State was writing the Monroe Doctrine, which continued the strong foreign policy decisions started by George Washington and led to the acquisition of Florida after the War of 1812. The work that Adams did as Secretary of State for James Monroe made him an obvious choice for president in the 1824 election through the Congressional Caucus system . When the Democratic Republicans, started by Thomas Jefferson, split into two different wings, Adams led the National Republicans division …show more content…
This election started the great rivalry amongst political candidates. When the votes were tallied, it turned out that Jackson won the popular vote; but no one won majority amongst electors. Therefore, via the Twelfth Amendment in the Constitution, the decision was left to the House of Representatives. In 1825, The House elected John Quincy Adams through the help of Jackson’s arch-enemy, Henry Clay. As speaker of the House, Clay used his influence and threw his support for Adams, by telling House representatives it was necessary to have Adams in the White House; although Adams and Clay was apart of the losing party from both the popular and electoral vote. Due to the work that Clay did, Adams appointed him to Secretary of State: the logical stepping stone to the presidency (Wetteman,