Mark R. Cheathem Martin Van Buren, Presidents, William Henry Harrison

Read the Introduction to The Coming of Democracy

My thanks to Johns Hopkins University Press for allowing me to post the introduction to my forthcoming book, The Coming of Democracy: Presidential Campaigning in the Age of Jackson. On 29 May 1840, approximately 7,500 individuals gathered in Clarksville, Tennessee, to witness a parade celebrating presidential candidate William Henry Harrison. The Whig Party had chosen … Continue reading Read the Introduction to The Coming of Democracy

Mark R. Cheathem William Henry Harrison

William Henry Harrison Trending Upward

Since writing recently about William Henry Harrison, the 9th president has been showing up a lot in my life. There's a new "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" t-shirt available from RetroCampaigns.com. My students also convinced me to look at the Drunk History website. One of the videos features Harrison (warning: if you're sensitive about drinking or … Continue reading William Henry Harrison Trending Upward

Mark R. Cheathem Election of 1840, Martin Van Buren, Sarah Palin, William Henry Harrison

What Do Sarah Palin and William Henry Harrison Have in Common?

Nick Jans' recent editorial piece on Sarah Palin struck me as humorous. Jans criticized Palin's "glaring, city-slicker klutziness" as she attempts to portray herself as a woman of the Alaskan land on her reality TV show. I haven't watched Palin's show, but what he describes doesn't surprise me, given the genre and the participant. What struck me most in Jans editorial are two … Continue reading What Do Sarah Palin and William Henry Harrison Have in Common?