In the election of 1824, what accusation was made regarding the outcome?

The accusation regarding the outcome of the 1824 election was that there was a "corrupt bargain" between John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay. This claim arose after the election concluded without a candidate receiving a majority in the Electoral College, leading the decision to go to the House of Representatives.

In this context, when Adams was chosen as president, Clay, who was then Speaker of the House, was appointed as his Secretary of State shortly thereafter. Many supporters of Andrew Jackson, who had received the most popular votes and Electoral votes but did not win the presidency, believed that a deal had been struck between Adams and Clay to secure Adams’s election in exchange for Clay's influence, thus undermining the democratic process. This notion of a "corrupt bargain" became a foundational narrative in American political discourse, contributing to the animosity and division of the period, particularly between Jackson's supporters and those of Adams.