- When
- 1832
In one line: Andrew Jackson (Democratic) won a second term over Henry Clay (National Republican), William Wirt (Anti-Masonic) and John Floyd; this page holds three pro-Jackson prints and none for the other candidates.
Context
Jackson won 219 of 286 electoral votes cast (288 electors were appointed; two Maryland electors did not vote), Clay 49, Floyd 11 and Wirt 7 [1]. The popular vote was 701,780 for Jackson, 484,205 for Clay and 100,715 for Wirt [2]. The Bank of the United States was the central issue: Jackson vetoed the Bank recharter bill, and the cross-check source reports that Clay expected the veto to hurt Jackson at the polls [3]. The Anti-Masonic Party, one of the first third parties, nominated Wirt, and the Democratic Party held its first national convention [3].
Campaigns reached voters through newspapers, lithographed prints and cartoons, and printed tickets. A later, 1833 print, "King Andrew the First", is a Bank War print and not campaign literature for this election.
Campaign literature
| Candidate (party) | Objects in the archive |
|---|---|
| Andrew Jackson (Democratic) | 3 |
| Henry Clay (National Republican) | 0 |
| William Wirt (Anti-Masonic) | 0 |
| John Floyd (Independent) | 0 |
Jackson has three objects. Clay, Wirt and Floyd have none: about 25 queries found no pro-Clay or pro-Wirt print dated to the 1832 campaign, and none for Floyd was located. This does not show that none exists. The Jackson-side prints name opponents ("Bank and Clay Rats") but were issued by or for Jackson supporters; one is an unattributed lithograph filed under Jackson because its content favours him.
Andrew Jackson (Democratic)
- "Jackson. New Orleans Jany. 8th 1815" (Childs & Inman, 1832) (print, 1832): A lithograph bust of Jackson in uniform sits in a medallion under an eagle with flags and cannon, and its only text names Jackson and the New Orleans victory of 8 January 1815.
- "Old Jack, the famous New Orleans mouser" (pro-Jackson print, 1832) (cartoon, 1832): A cartoon draws Jackson as a cat pinning rats labelled "Bank and Clay Rats" on the floor of "Uncle Sam's Barn", with onlookers cheering the cat.
- "Curse the d--d congress committee and their guns!" (anti-Bank print, 1832) (cartoon, 1832): An anonymous anti-Bank lithograph shows a runaway phaeton drawn by horses named Biddle and Burrows while a coach carrying Jackson and Van Buren travels smoothly toward the Capitol.
Henry Clay (National Republican)
No pro-Clay item dated to the 1832 campaign is catalogued in this archive.
William Wirt (Anti-Masonic)
No pro-Wirt item dated to the 1832 campaign is catalogued in this archive.
John Floyd (Independent)
No item for Floyd is catalogued in this archive.
Techniques visible
The same definitions apply to every candidate.
- Transfer: shown in items for Jackson. The tell is the same for each: the standing of a person, place, symbol or event is attached to a candidate.
- Name-calling: shown in items for Jackson. The tell is the same for each: a derisive or loaded label attached to a candidate, his backers or his opponents.
- Scapegoating: shown in items for Jackson. The tell is the same for each: blame for a threat is placed on a named group.
Sources
- National Archives, "Electoral College: 1832 Election", https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/1832
- American Presidency Project, "Elections: 1832", https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/elections/1832
- Wikipedia, "1832 United States presidential election" (cross-check only), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1832_United_States_presidential_election
- Library of Congress records for the objects described: jackson-new-orleans-eagle-medallion-childs-inman-1832, old-jack-mouser-bank-clay-rats-1832, curse-congress-committee-runaway-phaeton-1832.