Restoring the republic of virtue: The presidential election of 1824 (John Calhoun, Henry Clay, William Crawford, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson)

Historians argue that the election of 1824 was a critical election---an election that helped reshape the American political party system and political culture. The election is considered a pivotal event in the rise of Jacksonian Democracy, but past scholarship has focused too narrowly on Andrew Jackson's attack on the congressional caucus as a method of nominating presidential candidates.; Contemporary observers of the election of 1824 also believed that it was a critical moment in U.S. political history, but recognized that it was far more complex and the outcome far less certain than historians have portrayed it. This dissertation investigates and analyzes the election in a far broader context. The election of 1824 was the culmination of decade-long crisis that began with the War of 1812. The War tested both republicanism---the political ideology of the founding generation of leaders---and the policies and practices of the Republican party. The lack of a viable opposition party had an important effect in shaping the language and behavior of the candidates of the election of 1824. Two key trends emerged. First, the election was shaped by the logic of the one-party system. Candidates recognized that many of the policies of the Republican party had failed, but to succeed in the election had to establish their right to claim the legacy of republican leadership. Each candidate had to carefully make the case that they represented the "true republican" party. Secondly, this distinct emphasis on true republicanism led to a backward looking election in which political leaders reflected their desire and that of their constituents to restore the political process to the principles and virtues of the founding generation.; The first chapter briefly looks at key events in 1819---the debate on Missouri and the economic panic which shaped the election. Chapters two through six explore each of the major candidates, John Calhoun, Henry Clay, William Crawford, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. Each chapter examines how the republican values intersected with external events to shape the individual candidates campaign.