Another important contribution of Andrew Jackson's was the changes made to the Electoral College and the rise of the two party systems.
Vote for Andrew Jackson, these were probably the headlines that you saw throughout the country in 1824. In 1824 Andrew Jackson ran for president for the first time. At the time there was only one political party, the Democratic Republicans. The caucus system splintered with only one party and five serious candidates. This lead to the election being controversial, with Jackson winning the popular vote but not winning the majority in the Electoral College, this resulted in the election being decided by the House of Representatives. Jackson did not get the House of Representatives vote due to Henry Clay dropping out of the race and bestowing his support to John Adams. Before this election many states allowed the state legislators to appoint electors on behalf of their constituents. After this election this practice become controversial and starting with the election in 1828 most states choose electors through a method of public ballot.
In wake of this election Jackson’s supporters organized an energetic and creative coalition to get him elected. His supporters included skilled political organizers, who worked to create a network of campaign committees and organized rallies and other events on Jackson's behalf. A group of newspaper editors and journalists spread Jackson's reform message and recruited supporters to this new group, who were called the Democratic Party. During his presidency, Jackson’s actions while in office caused his adversaries in Congress to form the opposition Whig party, leading to the two-party system that still exists today.
References
Holcombe, R.G. (2000). Origins of the Electoral College. Retrieved from http://www.1215.org/lawnotes/lawnotes/electoralcollege.htm.
New World Encyclopedia online. Image. Retrieved from http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/United_States_Electoral_College
Research done by Barbarann E.