ABSTRACT
William Crawford, but the imprimatur of the caucus became more of a liability 1767-1848 than an asset to him. The election of 1824 marked the last time a caucus nomi-Having a weak nated a party's candidate. electoral mandate and
Irresistibly popular among his political colleagues, Crawford enjoyed the facing combative backing of former presidents Jefferson and Madison, and had an impressive Jackson supporters in record of public service in the U.S. Senate and in Monroe's cabinet. He seemed Congress, Adams destined to become the nation's sixth president. But his hopes of reaching the lacked the political White House were dealt a crushing blow in September 1823 when he suffered an capital and skill to incapacitating stroke, which left him half-paralyzed and almost blind. promote his ambitious
The remaining Republican hopefuls each represented various interests in the plans for party. Although John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, Monroe's secretary of transportation war, was an early contender for the White House, he was just 41 years old, and improvements, a in March 1824, deciding that he was young enough to try later for the presi-national university, dency, he bowed out of the race. Henry Clay, who like Calhoun had been a and an astronomical "War H a w k " before the War of 1812, was Speaker of the House, an adroit leg-observatory. islator who exuded charm and enjoyed considerable popularity.
