John Quincy Adams' father served as second President of the United States. The younger Adams literally followed in his father's footsteps and won the presidency in his own right. However, Adams the Younger's presidency was doomed from the outset. He won a contested election in the House of Representatives leaving him a wounded lame duck from the beginning of his presidency. As a result, Adams served as a caretaker president before losing his re-election bid in 1828. The Adams Administration lacked any distinctive accomplishments and witnessed the coarsening of politics.
The 1824 Presidential Election featured four candidates. The four men split the vote and no one could garner enough electoral votes to assume the presidency. The voters threw the election into the House of Representatives. The House bickered between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. Presidential Candidate Henry Clay eventually conceded the election and threw his support to Adams. Upon assuming office, the President-elect named Clay secretary of state.
At the time, the secretary of state was a very important political position. Adams was the fourth secretary of state to win the White House. Only Washington and Adams the Elder failed to serve in the position. Clay's elevation to this position made him the frontrunner for the presidency in 1832. The nomination infuriated Andrew Jackson.
The Jackson Campaign savagely attacked Adams and Clay for their "corrupt bargain." Andrew Jackson embodied the burgeoning democratic spirit of the age. During the Adams years, ordinary citizens earned the right to vote. Until this time, most states required voters own property. During the Adams years, these restrictions melted away. Jackson appealed to these voters and became their personal representative. When Jackson screamed "corrupt bargain", he spoke for millions of new voters.
Jackson's rhetoric and the method of Adams' election undercut the president. He made vast proposals for internal improvements. Adams wanted to build roads and canals to facilitate commerce. He also advocated a national university. However, he refused to play the Washington game and got little out of Congress.
In 1826, the Jacksonians swept into Congress. Their vitriolic opposition hampered Adams. Additionally, he refused to fire pro-Jackson bureaucrats which further undercut his effectiveness. By 1827, Adams lost control of Congress and the bureaucracy. On top of this, his policies alienated southern and western voters.
Adams limited land sales to slow westward expansion. He wanted peace with the Native Americans and interceded on their behalf. At one point, Georgia's governor took up arms to oppose Adams. Westerners felt betrayed by the administration. Jackson and Van Buren later supported Indian removal policies to avoid angering western voters.
Adams alienated western voters with land and Indian policy and he angered southern voters with his tariff policy. The president supported a high tariff to help protect and nurture industry. Southerners opposed this policy because they feared retaliation against cotton exports. In 1828, Congress passed the so-called Tariff of Abominations which dramatically increased import duties.
The tariff passed because of congressional incompetence. New Englanders wanted the tariff to support industry. Southerners opposed it and included provisions detrimental to New England in the legislation. The south hoped New England would recoil and vote against the increase. Then, New Englanders could claim they tried to help industry, but the south blocked their efforts. Southerners could claim they stopped the tariff cold. Instead, it passed and Adams signed it into law.
Southerners howled in protest over the Tariff of Abominations. Southern mouthpiece John C. Calhoun called it "unconstitutional and unjust." South Carolina talked secession. Adams managed to alienate just about everyone by signing the tariff into law. Interestingly, Jackson seemed reticent to cut the tariff rate after becoming president. He eventually signed a bill lowering the tariff while running for re-election in 1832. The tariff itself hurt the American economy.
By 1828, the voters wanted Jackson. He won an overwhelming victory over President Adams. The president failed to understand the democratization of America and refused to play politics. He failed to achieve any major legislative victories and managed to anger significant portions of the electorate. Despite being one of the most qualified men to ever serve as president, John Quincy Adams ended up being one of the most inconsequential chief executives in history.
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