US History Question of the Day The commerical railroad system that began in the U.S. in the 1830s A) always used a standard track width B) grew much more slowly than European railroads C) was funded exclusively by federal grants in its early years D) faced its main competition from canals and steamships E) made its greatest impact in the southeast section of the U.S.

The commerical railroad system that began in the U.S. in the 1830s Answer: D) faced its main competition from canals and steamships Explanation: The explosive growth of railroads in the U.S. during the second quarter of the 19th century aided both westward expansion and the increasing interconnectedness of the regions of the U.S. Canal and steamship operators recognized that railroads provided significant business competition for both freight and passenger traffic. The northeast section of the U.S. witnessed the most early railroad construction. Construction was usually funded by private investors, though after the 1850s significant federal assistance was provided for railroads. While four feet, eight and one-half inches became the standard gauge width for tracks, there were over 20 different track widths in use at some point in the 19th century and thousands of miles of track had to be re-fitted during the Civil War to allow for troop and equipment movement over various railroad lines.

Political Democratization and the Election of 1824

Political Democratization States abolishing property requirements for voting Written vs. verbal ballots More elected, vs. appointed, offices –Presidential electors elected by people vs. selected by state legislatures Transportation revolution “common people” more important in politics Circle of Democracy (paradigm) expanding Candidates selected by party members in legislature, not popular vote Women disenfranchised Free blacks disenfranchised Some Federalists felt “common people” were overstepping their role in politics

Pro-Con with partners One partner claps “pro” and “con” Other partner goes through both the pros AND cons of political democratization in the antebellum period

Election of 1824 Ends “Era of Good Feelings” with sectional tensions Era of Good Feelings – period during Pres. Monroe’s term ( ) that reflected a sense of national purpose and a desire for unity among Americans. Brief lull in bitter partisan disputes between Democratic-Republican and Federalist parties; Monroe’s goal was to eliminate parties altogether from national politics

Which office is a stepping stone to becoming President?

Candidates of 1824 John Quincy Adams (MA) Henry Clay (KY) William H. Crawford (GA) Andrew Jackson (TN)

1. How many key candidates were running for president A.Two B.Four C.Six

ANSWER B. Four

John Quincy Adams Northerner from Massachusetts Federalist Father: 2 nd President John Adams President Monroe’s Secretary of State Nominated by State Legislatures ams,%20John%20Quincy.jpg

William H. Crawford Southerner from Georgia Democratic-Republican President Monroe’s Secretary of the Treasury Endorsed by President Monroe Controversy over his nomination: –a meeting of 1/3 of the party nominated him son551/WH_Crawford.jpg

Henry Clay Westerner from Kentucky Democratic-Republican Popular leader in the House of Representatives Was chosen to be Adams Secretary of State Nominated by state legislatures ry_Clay.JPG/200px-Henry_Clay.JPG

Andrew Jackson “Old Hickory” Westerner from Tennessee Democratic-Republican Hero of War of 1812 – Battle of New Orleans United States Senator in 1824 Nominated by State Legislatures mages/prez_portraits/jackson.jpg

2. Which candidate was a northerner whose father was also a president? A.John Quincy Adams B.William Crawford C.Henry Clay D.Andrew Jackson

ANSWER A. John Quincy Adams ams,%20John%20Quincy.jpg

3. Which candidate was a famous war hero? A.John Quincy Adams B.William Crawford C.Henry Clay D.Andrew Jackson

ANSWER mages/prez_portraits/jackson.jpg

4. How many votes does a presidential candidate need to win an election? A.271 electoral votes B.The most popular votes C.Simple majority of electoral votes D.50% + 1 of the popular vote

ANSWER C. Simple majority of electoral votes aka 50% + 1 of the ELECTORAL votes

StateJacksonAdamsCrawfordClay AL 5 CT 8 DE 12 GA 9 IL 21 IN 5

StateJacksonAdamsCrawfordClay KY 14 LA 32 ME 9 MD 731 MA 15 MS 3

StateJacksonAdamsCrawfordClay MO 3 NH 8 NJ 8 NY NC 15 OH 16

StateJacksonAdamsCrawfordClay PA 28 RI 4 SC 11 TN 11 VT 7 VA 24

Electoral College Results

Election Problem: A candidate needed 131 votes to win! Nobody had a simple majority – 50 % + 1 Adams 84 Jackson+ 99 Crawford+ 41 Clay+ 37 = 261 ÷ 50% = SIMPLE MAJORITY = 131

The Election of 1824: The “Corrupt Bargain” CandidatePopular Vote Electoral Vote Andrew Jackson43%99 J.Q. Adams31%32 William Crawford 13%41 Henry Clay13%37

5. How is a president selected when no one wins the majority? A.By reelection B.By vote in the Senate C.By vote in the House D.By vote by state legislatures

ANSWER C. By vote in the House

6. Who had the most popular votes? A.John Quincy Adams B.William Crawford C.Henry Clay D.Andrew Jackson

ANSWER mages/prez_portraits/jackson.jpg

Henry Clay, the speaker of the House of Representatives, now held a decisive position. As a presidential candidate himself in 1824 (he finished fourth in the electoral college), Clay had led some of the strongest attacks against Jackson.

House of Representatives Electoral Results

: House Vote 7Andrew Jackson 13John Quincy Adams 4William H. Crawford n/aHenry Clay Henry Clay did not receive any House votes because the House only votes on the 3 candidates with the most popular votes

Election Summary Candidates Andrew Jackson –most popular & electoral votes John Quincy Adams –2 nd most popular & electoral votes William H. Crawford –Least popular & electoral votes Henry Clay

Clay forged a coalition that secured the White House for John Quincy Adams. In return Adams named Clay as his secretary of state. Denounced as a "corrupt bargain" by supporters of Jackson, the presidential race of 1828 began practically before Adams even took office. To many, the Adams-Clay alliance symbolized a corrupt system where elites pursued their own interests.