The Corrupt Bargain during the Election of 1824 indicated the importance of the Secretary of State as a precursor to the presidency (Answer D). Let's consider why this is:
The Election of 1824 involved five candidates running as Democratic-Republicans after the Republican-Federalist model failed. No one received a majority of the votes in the Electoral College, and so the House of Representatives chose between two candidates. The House was led by the speaker of the House, Henry Clay, who chose John Quincy Adams for the presidency. Clay was then given the position of Secretary of State by Adams as thanks for this maneuver.
Ultimately, this election was labeled as corrupt due to the fact that Andrew Jackson, who had received ninety-nine votes in the Electoral College, was widely considered the stronger choice for the presidency; Clay, thus, did not receive a warm welcome to the office.
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