As the incumbent Democratic President, Martin Van Buren he faced a formidable opponent in the Whig Party’s William Henry Harrison, in what was essentially a rematch from the previous election. It’s the Election of 1840. Let’s dive into the details.
Van Buren’s Presidential Woes
Martin Van Buren won the presidency in 1836, but four years later, his chances of re-election looked grim. The first major issue he faced was the economy. If you recall from the 1832 election article, Andrew Jackson opposed renewing the Second National Bank’s charter, believing that the money should go to local banks and states instead.
By 1837, that decision backfired, leading to a major financial crisis that left many Americans unemployed and caused a sharp decline in prices, an event known as “The Panic of 1837.” Despite this economic downturn and a decline in popularity, Van Buren secured the Democratic Party’s nomination with little opposition. However, he would be running without a Vice President on the ticket.
Van Buren’s current Vice President, Richard Mentor Johnson, was unpopular within the party, especially after the Panic of 1837 when Johnson left for nine months to Kentucky to recover his fortune by opening a spa and tavern. This, among other reasons, led to Johnson being dropped from the ticket. Despite nominations for James K. Polk and Littleton Tazewell, neither gained enough support to become Van Buren’s running mate. This marked the first time in U.S. political history that a major candidate ran without a VP pick.
So, Van Buren faced the challenge of re-election while once again going up against the Whig Party.
Tippecanoe and Tyler Too Are Back
The Whig Party, after their failed strategy to divide and conquer in the previous election, returned stronger in 1840, believing they could capitalize on the country’s economic woes to defeat Van Buren. At their first nominating convention, the Whigs chose William Henry Harrison, former Governor and Representative from Ohio, who had garnered the most votes and states among the Whig candidates in 1836. Harrison vowed to serve only one term if elected.
Harrison’s running mate this time was Virginia Senator John Tyler, who had also run in the 1836 election but as the vice-presidential candidate for two different Whig candidates. These were the major candidates in the election: Martin Van Buren and William Henry Harrison. Let’s examine the campaign strategies both sides employed, starting with Harrison.
Harrison’s Manufactured Image
The Whig Party’s strategy for the Election of 1840 closely mirrored the Democrats’ approach in 1828 and 1832 when they focused on Andrew Jackson’s image. The Whigs sought to present William Henry Harrison as a man of the people.
Harrison’s supporters and the Whig Party produced merchandise featuring his likeness and used campaign songs to promote him as a common man who lived in a log cabin and drank hard cider. They also highlighted Harrison’s status as a war hero, much like how Jackson’s military exploits endeared him to many Americans.
Harrison gained fame for his role in the War of 1812, particularly his victories in the Battle of the Thames and his leadership during the Battle of Tippecanoe, where he defeated a Native American uprising led by Shawnee chief Tecumseh. This earned him the nickname “Old Tippecanoe.”
The Whig Party’s strategy in this election closely resembled the identity politics that are common in modern elections, where the focus is more on the candidate’s image than on the issues. But this was only one part of the Whig strategy; the other involved portraying their opponent negatively.
Mudslinging
Neither the Whigs nor the Democrats focused on major issues like slavery; instead, they turned the election into a personality contest. The Democrats criticized William Henry Harrison as ‘senile’ or ‘Granny,’ implying he was too old to be president, and that his leadership could be risky for the country.
The Whigs retaliated by labeling Martin Van Buren as a rich, out-of-touch elitist who had let the country’s economy crumble, dubbing him ‘Martin Van Ruin.’ Ironically, Harrison was wealthier than Van Buren, but most Americans didn’t know that at the time. The Whigs also used political cartoons to attack Van Buren and the Democrats while portraying Harrison as an everyman who would fight for the common people.
On their side, the Democrats used newspapers to criticize Harrison for his vagueness on major issues, calling him ‘General Mum’ or ‘The Petticoat General.’ They promoted Van Buren with the nickname ‘O.K.’—short for ‘Old Kinderhook,’ referring to his hometown of Kinderhook, New York.
The election of 1840 was quite modern by today’s standards in its use of baseless claims, avoidance of major issues, and focus on image over substance. Now, let’s look at the results of this election and see who came out on top.
The Results
Out of 294 electoral votes, William Henry Harrison easily won, becoming the 9th president of the United States with 234 electoral votes and 52.9% of the popular vote. More people voted for the Whigs in this election than in 1836, with about 42.4% choosing Harrison. Martin Van Buren received 60 electoral votes, significantly fewer than in 1836, and garnered 46.8% of the popular vote, also a decline from the previous election.
This made Martin Van Buren the first one-term Democratic president in American history and the first one-term president since John Quincy Adams. But the story doesn’t end here; there’s more to discuss regarding the presidency of William Henry Harrison.
The President Is Dead
If you’ve ever Googled William Henry Harrison, you’ll know he was the first U.S. president to die in office. The circumstances surrounding his death have been clouded by a persistent myth.
Harrison was 67 years old when he won the election, making him the oldest man to win the presidency until 1980. During his inauguration, the weather was cold and reportedly raining, yet ‘Old Tippecanoe’ rode a horse without a hat or coat and delivered a lengthy speech.
The myth is that Harrison caught a cold that turned into pneumonia, leading to his death. However, this isn’t entirely accurate. Harrison died from drinking contaminated water in the White House, which was connected to a sewage plant. The tainted water led to him contracting typhoid, and he later died from septic shock. Harrison passed away just 31 days into his presidency, making him the president with the shortest term in office.
The Transfer of Power
With Harrison dead, there was uncertainty about who would lead the country, as the U.S. had never faced this situation before. The Constitution stated that in the event of the president’s removal, death, or resignation, the office’s responsibilities would pass to the vice president.
John Tyler interpreted this to mean that he was now the 10th president of the United States, although many in Harrison’s cabinet believed Tyler should be “Acting President” while still holding the Vice President’s title.
Ultimately, Tyler officially became the new president, though not without critics who mockingly referred to him as “His Accidency.” And that’s the election of 1840—the Whig Party finally won the White House. But will John Tyler’s unexpected ascension help or hurt the party in the next four years? You’ll have to wait for the 1844 election article to find out.
