After no presidential candidate won an electoral majority, in February 1825 the House of the outgoing 18th Congress chose the President, John Quincy Adams, in a contingent election.

[2] The approach of the 1824 presidential election ended the virtually nonpartisan Era of Good Feelings and motivated major realignment.

Opponents of Jackson often were called Anti-Jacksonians, coalescing under the leadership of newly elected President John Quincy Adams and soon forming the National Republican Party.

Leadership of the National Republicans in opposition to Jackson later would transition to Henry Clay, whose support of Adams determined the contingent election.

In 1824 a proposal was made to hold a convention to make Illinois a slave state.

Despite the failure of the plan to officially make Illinois a slave state, the state effectively continued the practice through laws that classified Black individuals as "indentured servants," which in practice made them slaves.

Maine law required a majority vote for election, n Maine law required a majority vote for electionecessitating additional ballots in the 3rd and 4th districts on January 3, 1825, April 4, 1825, and September 12, 1825.

New Hampshire law required candidates to receive votes from a majority of voters for election.

As only five candidates received votes from a majority of voters, a run-off election had to be held for the sixth seat on March 8, 1825.

In the contingency election, Van Buren was outmaneuvered by Clay and Adams, and the political machine he had worked to build broke down.

Less than a year after this defeat, Van Buren restored unity within the Bucktail faction and shifted his support to Jackson.

[26] North Carolina elected its members August 11, 1825, after the term began but before the new Congress convened.

Rhode Island elected its members August 30, 1825, after the term began but before the new Congress convened.