#487. The election of 1824

History, level: Middle
Posted Tue Nov 14 12:54:51 PST 2000 by Robert DeBolt (bdebris@cvzoom.net).
Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA
Materials Required: handouts
Activity Time: 40-50 minutes
Concepts Taught: electoral college

Topic: Election of 1824
Grades: 8-10
Time: one class period

Goals: To introduce students to the election of 1824.

Objectives:
1. For the students to understand why the election of 1824 was called the corrupt bargain.
2.For the students to develop a better understanding of the Electoral College and see some of its flaws.
3. For the student to be able to identify the players involved during this election and how sectionalism had become a problem.

Materials: 1. A different hand out for each state with the number of electoral votes allocated to each candidate.

State Jackson Adams Calhoun Clay

Maine 9
New Hampshire 8
Massachusetts 15
Rhode Island 4
Connecticut 8
Vermont 7
New York 1 26 5 4
New Jersey 8
Pennsylvania 28
Delaware 1 2
Maryland 7 3 1
Virginia 24
North Carolina 15
South Carolina 11
Georgia 9
Kentucky 14
Tennessee 11
Ohio 16
Louisiana 3 2
Mississippi 3
Indiana 5
Illinois 2 1
Alabama 5
Missouri 3

Activities:
1. Lecture for five minutes about the sectionalism involved during the election of 1824.
2. Give each student a handout. Pair some of the students up if needed or give some students 2 states if you don't have 24 students.
3. Write all of the states on the board and make a tally sheet. Have each state individually give their totals.
4. Add the totals up and then lecture on why no candidate was elected then.
5. Lecture on how it went to the house and the corrupt bargain was made

Assessment:
Have students write an editorial for a newspaper that selects either Adam's or Jackson's side and clearly explains why they support this side.

Posted by
Robert DeBolt