The Carnival Campaign : How the Rollicking 1840 Campaign of 'Tippecanoe and Tyler Too' Changed Presidential Elections Forever

The Carnival Campaign tells the fascinating story of the pivotal 1840 presidential campaign of General William Henry Harrison and John Tyler—"Tippecanoe and Tyler Too." Pulitzer Prize–nominated former Wall Street Journal reporter Ronald Shafer relates in a colorful, entertaining style how the campaign marked a series of "firsts" that changed politicking forever: the first campaign as mass entertainment; the first "image campaign," in which strategists portrayed Harrison as a poor man living in a log cabin sipping hard cider (he lived in a mansion and drank only sweet cider); the first time big money was a factor; the first time women could openly participate; and more. While today's electorate has come to view campaigns that emphasize style over substance as a matter of course, this book shows voters how it all began. Americans have come to expect that the nation's presidential campaigns will be characterized by a carnival atmosphere emphasizing style over substance. But this fascinating account of the pivotal 1840 election reveals how the now-unavoidable traditions of big money, big rallies, shameless self-promotion, and carefully manufactured candidate images first took root in presidential politics.Pulitzer Prize–nominated former Wall Street Journal reporter Ronald G. Shafer tells the colorful story of the election battle between sitting president Martin Van Buren, a professional Democratic politician from New York, and Whig Party upstart William Henry Harrison, a military hero who was nicknamed'Old Tippecanoe'after a battlefield where he fought and won in 1811. Shafer shows how the pivotal campaign of'Tippecanoe and Tyler Too'marked a series of firsts that changed presidential politicking forever: the first presidential campaign as mass entertainment, directed at middle- and lower-income voters; the first'image campaign,'in which strategists painted Harrison as an everyman living in a log cabin sipping hard cider (in fact, he was born into wealth, lived in a twenty-two-room mansion, and drank only sweet cider); the first campaign in which a candidate, Harrison, traveled and delivered speeches directly to voters; the first one influenced by major campaign donations; the first in which women openly participated; and the first involving massive grassroots rallies, attended by tens of thousands and marked by elaborate fanfare, including bands, floats, a log cabin on wheels, and the world's tallest man.Some of history's most fascinating figures—including Susan B. Anthony, Charles Dickens, Abraham Lincoln, Edgar Allan Poe, Thaddeus Stevens, and Walt Whitman—pass through this colorful story, which is essential reading for anyone interested in learning when image first came to trump ideas in presidential politics. Americans have come to expect that the nations presidential campaigns will be characterized by a carnival atmosphere emphasizing style over substance. But this fascinating account of the pivotal 1840 election reveals how the now-unavoidable traditions of big money, big rallies, shameless self-promotion, and carefully manufactured candidate images first took root in presidential politics. Pulitzer Prizenominated former Wall Street Journal reporter Ronald G. Shafer tells the colorful story of the election battle between sitting president Martin Van Buren, a professional Democratic politician from New York, and Whig Party upstart William Henry Harrison, a military hero who was nicknamed Old Tippecanoe after a battlefield where he fought and won in 1811. Shafer shows how the pivotal campaign of Tippecanoe and Tyler Too marked a series of firsts that changed presidential politicking the first presidential campaign as mass entertainment, directed at middle- and lower-income voters; the first image campaign, in which strategists painted Harrison as an everyman living in a log cabin sipping hard cider (in fact, he was born into wealth, lived in a twenty-two-room mansion, and drank only sweet cider); the first campaign in which a candidate, Harrison, traveled and delivered speeches directly to voters; the first one influenced by major campaign donations; the first in which women openly participated; and the first involving massive grassroots rallies, attended by tens of thousands and marked by elaborate fanfare, including bands, floats, a log cabin on wheels, and the worlds tallest man. Some of historys most fascinating figuresincluding Susan B. Anthony, Charles Dickens, Abraham Lincoln, Edgar Allan Poe, Thaddeus Stevens, and Walt Whitmanpass through this colorful story, which is essential reading for anyone interested in learning when image first came to trump ideas in presidential politics. Americans have come to expect that the nation's presidential campaigns will be characterized by a carnival atmosphere emphasizing style over substance. But this account of the pivotal 1840 election reveals how the now-unavoidable traditions of big money, big rallies, shameless self-promotion, and carefully manufactured candidate images first took root in presidential politics. Former Wall Street Journal reporter Ronald G. Shafer tells the story of the election battle between sitting president Martin Van Buren, a professional Democratic politician from New York, and Whig Party upstart William Henry Harrison, a military hero who was nicknamed "Old Tippecanoe" after a battlefield where he fought and won in 1811. Shafer shows how the pivotal campaign of "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" marked a series of firsts that changed presidential politicking forever: the first presidential campaign as mass entertainment, directed at middle- and lower-income voters; the first "image campaign," in which strategists painted Harrison as an everyman living in a log cabin sipping hard cider (in fact, he was born into wealth, lived in a twenty-two-room mansion, and drank only sweet cider); the first campaign in which a candidate, Harrison, traveled and delivered speeches directly to voters; the first one influenced by major campaign donations; the first in which women openly participated; and the first involving massive grassroots rallies, attended by tens of thousands and marked by elaborate fanfare, including bands, floats, a log cabin on wheels, and the world's tallest man. Some of history's most fascinating figures -- including Susan B. Anthony, Charles Dickens, Abraham Lincoln, Edgar Allan Poe, Thaddeus Stevens, and Walt Whitman -- pass through this story, which is essential reading for anyone interested in learning when image first came to trump ideas in presidential politics Front Cover -- Front Flip -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- Introduction -- 1: A Compromise Candidate -- 2: The First Image Campaign -- 3: Hello, Columbus -- 4: Old Tip: Hero or Coward? -- 5: Home Sweet Log Cabin Home -- 6: Little Matty -- 7: Palace of Splendor -- 8: Showdown in Baltimore -- 9: A Democratic Splinter -- 10: Tippecanoe and Rallies Too -- 11: The First Gender Gap -- 12: Petticoat Power -- 13: Read All About Us! -- 14: Sing Us a Song -- 15: The Marketing of a Candidate -- 16: Going Negative: The Democrats Fight Back -- 17: General Mum Speaks A compromise candidate The first image campaign Hello, Columbus Old Tip: hero or coward? Home sweet log cabin home Little Matty Palace of splendor Showdown in Baltimore A Democratic splinter Tippecanoe and rallies too The first gender gap Petticoat power Read all about us Sing us a song The marketing of a candidate Going negative: the Democrats fight back General Mum speaks Old Tip on the campaign trail Stump speakers The Buckeye Blacksmith Money talks Stealing votes Election returns Mr. Harrison goes to Washington Death of a president And Tyler too. 18: Old Tip on the Campaign Trail -- 19: Stump Speakers -- 20: The Buckeye Blacksmith -- 21: Money Talks -- 22: Stealing Votes -- 23: Election Returns -- 24: Mr. Harrison Goes to Washington -- 25: Death of a President -- 26: And Tyler Too -- Epilogue -- Acknowledgments -- A Tippecanoe and Tyler Too Tour -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index -- Back Flip: About the Author -- Back Cover