Answer: John Quincy Adams became President after the election of 1824 due to a contingent election in the House of Representatives.
Explanation: In the 1824 election, none of the four main candidates (John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, and William H. Crawford) secured the required majority of electoral votes to win the presidency outright. As a result, the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution mandated that the House of Representatives decide the outcome. Although Andrew Jackson had the most electoral votes and the highest popular vote, he did not have a majority. The House was to choose from the top three candidates, which excluded Henry Clay, who finished fourth. However, as the Speaker of the House, Clay held significant influence and supported Adams. Consequently, the House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams as the sixth President of the United States.