Editing Andrew Jackson (section)

====Election of 1832====
{{Main|1832 United States presidential election}}

[[File:Electoral Votes for 1832- Focus on Jackson.png|thumb|[[United States 1832 presidential election|1832 presidential election results]]|alt=A map of the 1832 presidential election. Blue states were won by Jackson.]]

The 1832 presidential election demonstrated the rapid development of political parties during Jackson's presidency. The Democratic Party's first national convention, held in [[Baltimore]], nominated Jackson's choice for vice president, Martin Van Buren. The [[National Republican Party]], which had held its first convention in Baltimore earlier in December 1831, nominated Clay, now a senator from Kentucky, and [[John Sergeant (politician)|John Sergeant]] of Pennsylvania.{{sfn|Meacham|2008|p=218}} An [[Anti-Masonic Party]], with a platform built around opposition to Freemasonry,{{sfn|Meacham|2008|p=420}} supported neither Jackson nor Clay, who both were Masons. The party nominated [[William Wirt (Attorney General)|William Wirt]] of Maryland and [[Amos Ellmaker]] of Pennsylvania.{{sfn|Latner|2002|pp=112–113}}

In addition to the votes Jackson would lose because of the bank veto, Clay hoped that Jackson's Indian Removal Act would alienate voters in the East; but Jackson's losses were offset by the Act's popularity in the West and Southwest. Clay had also expected that Jackson would lose votes because of his stand on internal improvements.{{sfn|Gammon|1922|pp=55–56}} Jackson had [[Maysville Road veto|vetoed the Maysville Road bill]], which funded an upgrade of a section of the [[National Road]] in Clay's state of Kentucky; Jackson had argued it was unconstitutional to fund internal improvements using national funds for local projects.{{sfn|Jackson|1966|pp=261–268}}

Clay's strategy failed. Jackson was able to mobilize the Democratic Party's strong political networks.{{sfn|Latner|2002|p=113}} The Northeast supported Jackson because he was in favor of maintaining a stiff tariff; the West supported him because the Indian Removal Act reduced the number of Native Americans in the region and made available more public land.{{sfn|Van Deusen|1963|p=54}} Except for South Carolina, which passed the Ordinance of Nullification during the election month and refused to support any party by giving its votes to the future Governor of Virginia [[John B. Floyd]],{{sfn|Ericson|1995|p=259}} the South supported Jackson for implementing the Indian Removal Act, as well as for his willingness to compromise by signing the Tariff of 1832.{{sfn|Ratcliffe|2000|p=10–14}} Jackson won the election by a landslide, receiving 55 percent of the popular vote and 219 electoral votes.{{sfn|Latner|2002|p=113}}