The Presidency of John Quincy Adams

The Presidency of John Quincy Adams marked a turning point in American history. For the first time in nearly fifty years, a member of the founding generation would not occupy the executive mansion. Adams represented a the growing "National Republican" faction in American politics, a group that used parts of the Declaration and parts of Hamilton's economic agenda to create a hybrid political faction that capitalized on the westward movement.

Henry Clay figured prominently in this pivot. His American System served as the foundation of Adams's domestic agenda, and Clay's role as Secretary of State led to charges of the "Corrupt Bargain." He never lived those down.

Men like John Randolph of Roanoke consistently bludgeoned the Adams administration as being monarchical, and his agenda met stiff resistance in Congress.

This course covers Adams's agenda and the Southerners who opposed it.