WK4 Day 3 - "1814-1844 / Election of 1844"

February 5, 2025 Lesson

What was new about political parties between 1841-1844?

3rd Parties began to form

What was the main goal of the Liberty Party?

to free slaves

In 1912, who was the only president to get second place during an election as a candidate for a 3rd political party?

Teddy Roosevelt

What’s the first thing a third political party can do?

They can focus on one “significant” issue

What’s the second thing a third political party can do?

They can take votes from one candidate to help the other candidate win

What’s the third thing a third political party can do?

A major party can adopt the “significant issue” the third party focuses on

How many days passed before William H. Harrison died in office?

31 days

Who was William H. Harrison’s Vice President?

John Tyler

What problematic things did John Tyler do as someone who was supposed to support Whig ideals?

He hated banks, tariffs, and internal improvements like a Democrat

What was John Tyler’s nickname? Why did he have this nickname?

JT was called “His Accidency” because his presidency was unexpected and accidental.

Henry Clay was so passionate about his love for banks, tariffs, and internal improvements that his beliefs were called?

Clay’s American System

During JT’s presidency, how many national tours did Henry Clay go on?

3

On Clay’s national tours, what did he talk about?

Clay talked about banks, tariffs, and internal improvements on his tours.

On Clay’s national tours, what didn’t he talk about?

He completely ignored the issue of slavery and the debate on whether Texas could become a state.

Why was Clay’s avoidance to talking about slavery and Texas’s possible statehood problematic?

Many Americans wanted to hear him speak on those issues, not completely ignore them

When and where did Henry Clay’s first national tour take place?

Richmond, Virginia, on October 10, 1842

What significant, random situation happened during one of Clay’s national tours?

A random Quaker named Hiram Mendenhall approached him with a letter. In this letter, he was directly asked how he’d handle slavery if he was President

How did Clay react to Mendenhall’s random interaction during his speech? Why was this significant?

He lost his temper and started to be seen as an angry slave owner, not just a familiar political figure.

What was the name of Henry Clay’s plantation?

Ashland

What topics did mudslingers cover when talking about Henry Clay?

he was a slave owner, liked to duel, gambled, drank, & had questionable moral behavior

What was the popular slogan for Harrison & Tyler’s campaign?

Tippecanoe & Tyler Too

In 1844, who did Democrats select as their next presidential candidate? Why?

James K. Polk. He was a ‘war hero’ from TN, like AJ.

How did James Polk feel about Texas possibly becoming a state?

He wanted Texas to become a state.

Who did the Liberty Party select as their presidential candidate?

James Birney

In total, how many popular and electoral college votes did Henry Clay (Whig) have?

1,300,000 & 105

In total, how many popular and electoral college votes did James Polk (Democrat) have?

1,337,000 & 170

In total, how many popular and electoral college votes did James Birney (The Liberty Party) have?

62,500 & 0

How did the anti-slavery Liberty Party have a significant impact on the Election of 1844’s results?

James Birney won 2.3% of the vote. His vote share in New York exceeded Polk's margin of victory over Clay.