The first four U.S. Presidents were founding fathers, so the election of 1824 was the first time it was a completely different generation vying for what direction we should take the country in. John Quincy Adams, son of President John Adams, seemed like he fit the bill. He was secretary of state, and Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe all had served as Secretary of State before taking the mantel.
Andrew Jackson was cut from a different cloth as the first five presidents. Not wealthy/educated/elite/eastern, Andrew Jackson instead was a frontiers man and a war hero.
By the time the votes were tallies, Jackson won the popular vote, but since the race was split between more than two candidates and he only had a plurality but not a majority (more votes than anyone else, but less than 50%), congress got to decide the next President.
In a move of backroom bargaining, John Q. Adams offers the then speaker of the house Henry Clay a position as the 9th Secretary of State in exchange for whipping the votes. It worked.
Screwed out of an election that should have been his, Andrew Jackson held his tongue and his temper and instead looked towards the next election where he knocked the sitting president out of office.
Who are your favorite founding fathers of the U.S.A.?
I certainly don't agree with the direction a lot of these guy's moral compasses were pointing in, but boy did sure did get things done (most of the time).
I hold Teddy and Eisenhower in high esteem, but need to read up more about Monroe.
On what grounds.