The Two Party Antebellum Era
I. The Turbulent Antebellum Era
A. The Rise and Fall of Martin Van Buren
1. Personality change
2. Political handicaps
3. Economic Woes
a. Panic of 1837
1. Rampant speculation
2. Wildcat banks and inflation
3. Wheat failure and bread riot
4. UK bank failure and recall loans
5. US banks collapse
b. Whig solution
c. Indep. Subtreasury--VB solution
B. Election 1840-Heyday for 2nd Party System
1. Van Buren--"Reluctant" Democrats
2. Whigs pick Harrison
a. Military Hero
b. Little known
3. First modern Presidential campaign
a. No issues-"Tippicanoe and Tyler Too"
b. Character, parades, alcohol
c. Large voter turnout-78%
4. Whig-Democratic philosophical difference
5. No important 3rd Party (Slavery?)
C. Tyler: President Without a Party
1. Whig fiscal plans
2. Foreign policy problems
a. Webster-Ashburton
1. ³Aroostook War²
2. Mesabi range
b. Texas annexation??
c. Oregon fever
D. Manifest Destiny and the 44 election.
1. Whigs--Clay-- ³No Texas²
2. Democrats--James K. Polk
a. Texas-Oregon Fever-³54-40 or fight²
b. California¹s ³deep harbors²
3. Liberty Party--Birney
E. Polk one of ³America¹s Best?²
1. Jackson man
2. Fix the Oregon problem
3. Slidell to Mexico ³$25 Million for California²
E. War with Mexico
1. Taylor-the Whig-to Nueces River
2. ³American blood has been spilled²
3. Three pronged invasion of Mexican territory
F. Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
1. Nicholas Trist troubles
2. All of Mexico
3. Mexican Cession for the US
a. 1/2 million square miles
b. $15 million