Instant History
By Chuck Koss
This is the latest in our series
on Presidential elections, con
cerning the election of 1840. For
forty years, since 1800 and the
time of Jefferson, the Dmocrats,
then called Republicans, had
been in power. But now the
opposition was organized, and
they had an overwhelming issue
— hard times.
The Fourteenth Election (1840)
Van Buren had scarcely
entered the White House when
the Panic of 1837 struck the
country. It was hardly his fault,
but he w'ould bear the blame.
(1) What were the main causes
of the Panic of 1837?
(2) The election was a heyday
for political cartoonists and a
press agent’s dream What was
the meaning of the slogan,
“Tippecanoe and Tyler, too’’?
(3) Despite all the hoopla, the
Whigs mounted a truly effective
campaign, one that would be the
envy of the politicans of today
How did they portray the
opposing candidates?
(4) How did the election come
out?
(5) The winning candidate was
not to finish his term. Why?
Answers
(1) The hard times were
brought about by rampant
inflation, caused by easy money
and widespread speculation.
Jackson had de centralized fed
eral funds from the National
Bank to state banks and private
institutions These “pet'’ banks
made liberal loans, often to land
speculators who bought land
from the government on credit.
The federal government also
loaned large sums to the states
for roads and other improve
ments. The money flowed out,
little came in. and the situation
was made worse by crop failure
in the wheat fields When
demands for payment were
made, the “pet'’ banks and the
states could not pay in specie
(gold or silver), and the
depression set in
(2) It was for the Whig ticket.
General William Henry Harrison,
hero of the battle of Tippecanoe,
for President; John Tyler of
Virginia for the second spot. The
Democrats responded with a line
of doggerel for their warrior, the
Vice-President: “Rumpsey-
dumpsey. rumpsey dumpsey,
Colonel Johnson killed Tecum
seh'’'. Other sayings,still in usage
today, were the Whig’s “keep the
ball rolling", and “OK" for “Old
Kinderhook", a knickname for
Van Buren.
(3) Although the depressed
economy gave the Whigs a great
advantage, they knew that the
reflected popularity of “Old
Hickory" would be a strength of
Van Buren’s. Therefore, they
concocted the nonsense of
Harrison, a wealthy man who
owned 2000 acres and a sixteen
room mansion, as a poor farmer
who lived in a log cabin and
drank hard cider. Van Buren,
they charged, tippled champagne
and had made the White House a
king’s palace. Further, poor
“Matty" was painted as a
corseted, effeminate dandy,
while the General was a hardy
man of the soil. It was sheer
malarky. but the electorate
swallowed it.
(4) The popular vote was
relatively close, 1,275,016 for
Harrison, 1,129,102 for Van
Buren. But the Whigs captured
the Presidency by 234 electoral
votes and 19 states to the
Democrats 60 votes and 7 states.
A new party, the Abolitionists,
had little appeal in a time when
the national hero was a "Hard
cider man". Their candidate,
James Birney, gained but 7,069
popular votes.
(5) General Harrison, mounted
on a white charger, iodo to his
inauguration on a bitter, cold
day. hat in hand and disdaining
an overcoat. He developed
pneumonia and died one month
later Vice President John Tyler
succeeded "Old Tip", the first
President to die in office
Radio At Kiwanis
The Tryon Kiwanis Club will
meet Tuesday at 12:45 p m. at
The Dinner Bell. Herbert Lee
"Ace" Rickenbacker will talk on
"Radio."
A native of Lenoir County, he
was reared in Rutherford County
and educated at Wofford. He is a
veteran of the U. S. Air Force in
World War IT. He is an
outstanding archer, likes to ride a
motorcycle and has been in a
number of Little Theater produc
tions. He is presently serving on
the Tryon Town Council
He is program Director of
WTYN and joined them 22 years
ago, coming here from WSPA He
is married to the former Genelle
Scoggins and they have one
daughter. Sally, who is a student
in the 7th grade at Tryon Middle
School
Girls Softball
Thursday
Cherokee at Polk Central
Tryon Daily Bulletin, Mon., Apr. 7. 1980
JV Tennis
Friday
Tryon at Spartanburg Day
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Young, bold
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