In 1824, Andrew Jackson won 99 electoral votes and 151,271 popular votes, leading all candidates but falling short of the 131-vote majority needed. The 12th Amendment sent the election to the House, which chooses among the top three electoral vote winners, with each state delegation casting one vote. Jackson topped the field; John Quincy Adams had 84 electoral votes; William Crawford won 41. Henry Clay finished fourth with 37 electoral votes, excluding him from House consideration. House Speaker Clay lobbied members to back Adams despite Jackson's popular vote lead. On February 9, 1825, the House elected Adams on the first ballot with 13 states—the bare 26-state majority required. Adams then appointed Clay secretary of state. Jackson's supporters cried "corrupt bargain," campaigning on that narrative for four years until Jackson crushed Adams in their 1828 rematch. The controversy shaped American politics for a generation, fueling distrust of backroom deals and elite override of popular will.