In the middle of the 1844 presidential election, an explosive story that some believed would transform the presidential campaign appeared in the national media. Instead, it turned out to be a piece of disinformation that proved to be far less consequential than if it had been true.
The Whigs Strike Back in Nashville
The week after Democrats met in Nashville in mid-August 1844, Whigs gathered in the same city. As expected from the party that had used cultural politics to its advantage in the 1840 presidential election, Whigs used political symbols extensively. For example, they raised a 200-foot-high liberty pole, a political symbol dating from the American Revolution. … Continue reading The Whigs Strike Back in Nashville
The Day That Changed the 1844 Presidential Election
In many ways, Saturday, April 27, was the most consequential day in the 1844 presidential election. By the time the sun set, a presumptive presidential aspirant found himself confronting an emerging political issue that significantly threatened his chances of winning the White House, while another had virtually ended his chances of being nominated by his … Continue reading The Day That Changed the 1844 Presidential Election
Jacksonian America: Society, Personality, and Politics 