Final answer:
The "corrupt bargain" refers to the alleged deal between John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay after the 1824 U.S. presidential election, leading to Adams being elected president by the House of Representatives.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Corrupt Bargain of 1824
The term "corrupt bargain" refers to the contentious outcome of the U.S. presidential election of 1824. During James Monroe's second term, deep divisions over economic policies and the expansion of slavery were coming to a head. These issues foregrounded the presidential race wherein none of the candidates secured a majority of the electoral votes, sending the decision to the House of Representatives. It was here that behind-the-scenes negotiations took place, leading to John Quincy Adams being elected as president.
Henry Clay, who was the Speaker of the House of Representatives at the time, played a crucial role in securing Adams' victory. Consequently, Adams appointed Clay as his Secretary of State, a position which at the time was considered a stepping-stone to the presidency. This fueled allegations of a "corrupt bargain" between Adams and Clay by Andrew Jackson's supporters, who felt that their candidate had been cheated out of the presidency despite winning a plurality of both popular and electoral votes. The corrupt bargain accusation became a central theme for Jackson's successfully vengeance-fueled campaign in the 1828 election.