Summary
The 1832 Presidential Election was a landmark moment in American political history, as each party used a national convention to nominate their candidates for President. The candidates were Andrew Jackson (Democrat), Henry Clay (National Republican), William Wirt (Anti-Masonic), and John Floyd (Nullifier), with Jackson and Clay being the two most prominent. The main issue during the campaign was the debate over funding for the Second National Bank, which Clay supported but Jackson had vetoed during his first term. Other important issues were the Indian Removal Act and the Tariff of 1832. Despite Jackson’s controversial policies, he won the election in a landslide, easily outdistancing Clay, who finished second, and the others. Jackson’s victory extended the “Age of Jackson” and “Jacksonian Democracy,” while ushering in a new era of political organization.
Facts
- Dates: November 2–December 5, 1832.
- Tickets:
- Democrat: Andrew Jackson (President), Martin Van Buren (Vice President).
- National Republican: Henry Clay (President), John Sergeant (Vice President).
- Anti-Masonic: William Wirt (President), Amos Ellmaker (Vice President).
- Nullifier: John Floyd (President), Henry Lee (Vice President).
- Outcome: Jackson was elected President, while Van Buren was elected Vice President.
- Part of: United States Presidential Elections, Jackson Administration.
- Era: Expansion and Reform, Age of Jackson.
Key Details
- Historic Firsts:
- Nominating Conventions: Each party held a national convention to nominate its candidates for President and Vice President. The Anti-Masonic Party held the first convention in 1831.
- Major Third Party Candidate: William Wirt was the first major third-party candidate to run for President.
- Main Issue: The main issue was the controversy over funding for the Second Bank of the United States.
Significance
The 1832 Presidential Election is important in American history because it marked the first use of national nominating conventions by all major parties, set the stage for debates over the Second Bank of the United States, and solidified Andrew Jackson’s political dominance. It also introduced the Anti-Masonic Party as a third-party candidate and cemented the popularity of Jacksonian Democracy.
AP US History
Alignment
The Presidential Election of 1832 is part of the following units, topics, and chapters in the AP US History curriculum:
Terms
Electoral College — The body that meets every four years to elect the President and Vice President of the United States, in a process established by Article II of the Constitution. Each State in the Union has delegates, or Electors, who cast ballots for both offices. The number of Electors for each state is determined by the number of members it has in the two houses of Congress. Today, most Electors are required to cast their votes for the candidates who win their state’s popular vote.
Second Party System — The Second Party System refers to the competitive electoral politics that emerged in the 1830s and reached maturity by the election of 1840. It was characterized by close organizational and electoral competition between two major parties, the use of nominating conventions, and the formalization of party names. The system also involved party loyalty reinforced through the Spoils System.
National Republican Party — The National Republican Party was a designation adopted by supporters of John Quincy Adams during the 1824 Presidential Election and the 1828 Presidential Election. Known for support of Henry Clay’s American System and opposition to Andrew Jackson, the party rose after the collapse of the First Party System and before the formation of the Second Party System. Afterward, it evolved into the Whig Party.
Democratic Party — Founded in 1800 as the Democratic-Republican Party by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, it became a dominant force in U.S. politics by emphasizing limited Federal Government power, a narrow reading of the U.S. Constitution, and westward expansion that favored white settlers. Under President Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren, it built a national coalition that dominated national politics until 1860.
Anti-Masonic Party — The Anti-Masonic Party rose to prominence in the 1820s and early 1830s in response to fears that Freemasons were using secret networks to gain power and evade accountability.
Jacksonian Democracy — Jacksonian Democracy refers to a shift in political power that took place starting in the late 1820s, when Andrew Jackson and his supporters moved their focus from appealing to wealthy elites to working-class Americans, including farmers and laborers. The ideology embraced westward expansion, called for the expansion of voting rights, and opposed the National Bank. It placed the “common man” at the center of American politics and established the Democratic Party as the “party of the people.”
Age of Jackson (1829–1857) — The Age of Jackson was an era that promoted Manifest Destiny and westward expansion, supported the expansion of voting rights for white males, embraced political patronage through the Spoils System, and followed a strict interpretation of the United States Constitution. It was highlighted by the clash between the Democratic Party and the Whig Party, also known as the Second Party System. The Presidents during this era were Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, and James K. Polk. Key events were the Nullification Crisis (1832–1833), the Annexation of Texas (1845), and the Mexican-American War (1846–1848).
