The Re-emergence of a Two Party Political System
The Re-emergence of a Two Party Political System
Between 1820 and 1840, a few personalities as well as several issues entered the political picture that caused the entire political system to become more defined. At the center of this definition were the political parties, so to speak, that were involved at the time. When strong minds collide with strong ideas and issues, the product is a drastic change.
For a while, the distinctions of the political parties in America had been fading, but the presidential election of 1824 marked the beginning of the re-emergence of the two-party political system in America. One could argue that this particular election was not at all about a two party system because of its four candidates; John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Samuel Crawford, and Henry Clay, but this argument would be incorrect. In this election no one candidate obtained a majority vote in the electoral college, therefore, the decision of the presidency went to the House of Representatives. At that point, the will of the people was suddenly the will of Henry Clay, who, realizing he had no chance to win, chose which candidate he would throw his support behind. At that point, it became painfully obvious that it would not do to have eighty people running for president because no one candidate would ever receive a majority vote. This election also became the stage to introduce some of the up and coming leaders of the nation, and their ideas, to the general public. J.Q. Adams eventually won the election of 1824, and although he was just as smart as his father, he was considered one of the worst presidents in American history. His administration was a series of disasters culminating in the Tariff of Abominations in 1828. Thus, needless to say, Jackson won over J.Q. Adams in the election of 1828.
Jackson’s presidency is where one starts to see that two party system really take shape. Jackson’s popularity came from the fact that he was seen as a man of the common people. He was a strong president and one could make a case that this was either in spite of or because of the fact that he was head-strong by nature. Jackson’s personality made him an easy target for opposition. That opposition was Henry Clay and their main point of disagreement...