What Role Did Henry Clay Play In The Election Of 1824

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In the election of 1824, the race was between John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, and William H. Crawford. The results of the election were inconclusive (although Jackson did lead in electoral and popular vote) because no candidate received a majority in the electoral college. The vote for President then went to the House of Representatives who, with the influence of Henry Clay who was Speaker of the House (and he had the least amount of votes so he was dropped from the ballot), elected John Quincy Adams as President. Then Adams selected Clay to be his Secretary of State. Angry Jacksonians denounced the outcome of the election as a “corrupt bargain” between Clay and Adams that had stolen the office. The significance of the “corrupt