John Quincy Adams

Eldest son of President John Adams, John Quincy Adams was elected sixth president of the United States in 1824. Since no one of the four candidate had a majority of votes, the decision was made by the House of Representatives. Henry Clay, who had for years assumed a censorious attitude toward Andrew Jackson, cast his influence for Adams, whose election was thereby secured on the first ballot on 9 Feb 1825. the charge of "bargain and corruption" followed, and the feud thus created between Adams and Jackson greatly influenced the history of the United States.

Up to this point Adams' career had been almost uniformly successful, but his presidency (1825-29), during which the country prospered, was in most respects a political failure because of the virulent opposition of the Jacksonians. Adams' policy was to exert national power to make freedom more fruitful for the people. Accordingly he called for strong national policies under executive leadership: the Bank of the United States as an instrument of the national fiscal authority; a national tariff to protect domestic industries; national administration of the public lands for their methodical and controlled disposal and settlement; national protection of the Indian tribes and lands against encroachments by the states; a broad national program of internal physical improvements - highways, canals, and railways; and national direction in the field of education, the development of science, and geographical discoveries.

Adams had no real party to back him up. the opposition, with Andrew Jackson as its figurehead and "bargain and corruption" as its battle cry, combined to defeat him for reelection in 1828.