The Presidential Election of 1840

Paper Summary:

This paper explains the presidential election of 1840, which is considered the very first modern political campaign because of its use of political imagery and widespread advertising. The author points out that the campaign itself was full of political antics and did not specifically focus on the issues that were of great concern for a majority of American voters. The paper reports that, because of the widespread political campaigning of the Whigs, Harrison became the 9th President of the United States in 1841 through what is now known as a landslide.

From the Paper:

"Thus, while Congress struggled with four turbulent sessions with Van Buren as President, the Whig Party sought every opportunity to strengthen their cause against the President. Whig victories in many Democratic strongholds in New York City were more than mere political reactions to the financial chaos of the Panic of 1837, for they arrived from substantial political networks and a sophisticated style of electioneering never seen before. Whig managers, such as Thurlow Weed of New York City, were prepared to wage an extensive grassroots campaign to capitalize on the public furor aroused by the Panic. However, Van Buren misread these political signs, for he had developed a stereotypical view of the Whigs as disorganized and amateurish."

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