Adams Vs Jackson Analysis

1. Election of 1828: Adams v Jackson
AJ just got out of a loss in 1824 election where he felt cheated.
In 1828 election, his strategy was to rely on his good military reputation and Adams bad reputation for making enemies. He also decided to avoid taking a stand on the issues to make sure he doesn’t displease anyone.
“The campaign was disgraced by character assassination and lies of the worst sort.”(251) AJ’s opponents attacked his wife, calling her an adulteress, and they called him a tyrant and a drunk gambler.
“The 1828 election stimulated party formation because instead of several sectional candidates, each dominant in his own region, competing for the presidency, it pitted two nationally known men against each other.” (251) As a result, people had to choose a side and then organize forces to defend their side. The formation happened faster in “neutral” states where neither Jackson nor Adams had a lot of supporters as. (this connects with #5)

2. spoils system
Filling one’s party with its supporters is an old concept, but AJ’s spoil system seemed revolutionary because Adams before him never removed/appointed anyone for political reasons and AJ did. “Jackson was determined to root out the thieves.”(253) Jackson fired people working in government who were unfit for their jobs. He fired government workers who had grown senile or corrupt and fired others who were drunks or