In the 1824 U.S. presidential election, which figure was accused of the corrupt bargain?

• A. Andrew Jackson
• B. John Quincy Adams
• C. Henry Clay
• D. William H. Crawford

Answer: (B)

John Quincy Adams is the figure accused. In the 1824 election, no candidate won a majority of electoral votes, so the House decided the presidency and chose Adams. Soon after, Adams appointed Henry Clay as Secretary of State, which Jackson supporters labeled a “corrupt bargain”—claiming Adams had struck a deal with Clay to secure the victory in exchange for a high-status post. The idea emphasizes how the outcome was perceived as the result of backroom maneuvering rather than a clear, decisive win, and it helped fuel the rise of party politics around Jackson and his opponents. The other figures played major roles in the contest, but the accusation pointed to Adams as the one who allegedly brokered the bargain.