Why did Andrew Jackson win the election of 1828?

Andrew Jackson won the election of 1828 partly because of the backlash following the allegedly corrupt practices by his opponent in the 1824 election. Additionally, he chose a strong running mate and John C. Calhoun and managed to consolidate his support in the newly formed Democratic Party in the years before the election.

Andrew Jackson won the election of 1828 partly because of a backlash following allegedly corrupt practices by his opponent in the 1824 election. Additionally, he chose a strong running mate in John C. Calhoun and managed to consolidate his support in the newly-formed Democratic Party in the years before the election. Jackson narrowly lost the election of 1824. Although he had won the popular vote, he did not receive sufficient votes in the electoral college. His main opponent, John Quincy Adams, secured the electoral vote by promising another candidate, Henry Clay, the position of Secretary of State as a reward for turning over his share of the electoral votes. This became known as the Corrupt Bargain. In response, Jackson was nominated for the next election in 1825, three years early. The supporters of Jackson, Calhoun and their ally Martin Van Buren formed a coalition to create the Democratic Party.

The presidential campaign of 1828 was marked by a significant amount of mud-slinging, or trying to disparage the reputation of opponents, on both sides. Jackson blamed the opposition for the death of his wife, who became depressed by the personal attacks on her. Ultimately, Jackson won by a landslide, and the election marked the beginning of the two-party system in American politics.