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U.S. presidential election, 1824

Presidential CandidateElectoral Vote Popular Vote Party Vice Presidential Candidate
(Electoral Votes)
John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts (W) 84 108,740 Democratic-Republican John C. Calhoun of South Carolina (182)
Andrew Jackson of Tennessee 99 153,544 Democratic-Republican Nathan Sanford of New York (30)
Nathaniel Macon of North Carolina (24)
Andrew Jackson of Tennessee (13)
Martin Van Buren of New York (9)
Henry Clay of Kentucky (2) 
William H. Crawford of Georgia 41 46,618 Democratic-Republican
Henry Clay of Kentucky 37 47,136 Democratic-Republican
Other
Total 261 356,038 100.0%
Other elections: 1812, 1816, 1820, 1824, 1828, 1832, 1836
Source: U.S. Office of the Federal Register


John Quincy Adams received fewer electoral votes and fewer popular votes than Andrew Jackson. However, no candidate earned the 131 electoral votes required for victory, so the United States House of Representatives on December 1 was given the task to decide the winner (as stipulated by the Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution). After much debate, the House decided the election on February 9, 1825 in favor of Adams. 13 state delegations voted for John Q. Adams, 7 for Jackson, and 3 for Crawford. Since Henry Clay finished fourth in electoral votes, he was not eligible for selection by the House. However, as Speaker of the House, he threw his support behind Adams and was subsequently appointed Secretary of State, leading critics to call the appointment the "Corrupt Bargain". This set the stage for a bitter rematch between Adams and Jackson four years later.

See also: President of the United States, U.S. presidential election, 1824, History of the United States (1776-1865)