A Look Into History: U.S. Presidential Election of 1852

After Zachary Taylor died all of a sudden, Vice President Millard Fillmore became president. However he lost the nomination due to regional differences among the Whig party part of which led to it's collapse. 

Whigs nominated Winfield Scott, a heroic war general from the Mexican-American war. 

 Democrats nominated Franklin Pierce, former Senator and General. Because of the similar platforms of the parties, and of the candidates turnout was low. Making it one of the first elections where many were dissatisfied with both choices.

Despite not much campaign conflict and close popular vote, Pierce had a landslide victory. He received 254 votes in comparison to Scott's 42. 

A Look Into History: U.S. Presidential Election of 1848

The election of 1848 was open after Polk kept his promise not to re-seek office after just one-term. Zachary Taylor was the war hero and general during the Mexican-American war, and was sought out by both parties to run. The Whigs managed to get him to come their side.

The Democrats nominated Lewis Cass, a senator from Michigan. 

Former President Martin Van Buren was at it again, and sought another term. Except this time he ran on a 3rd party ticket. He ran on the Free Soil platform which opposed slavery in the expanding west. 

Also to note is that Van Buren's running mate was Charles Francis Adams who was the grandson of John Adams, and son of John Quincey Adams. The Free Soil party received no electoral votes. 

The Whigs and Democrats attacked each other with the same old rhetoric since this was an open election. It's hard to verbally-attack a president that's not running again. However Taylor's popularity as a war hero gave him a victory over Cass. Taylor beat Cass 163-127 with them winning 15 states each. Taylor managed to get the ones that were worth more.

A Look Into History: Napoleon II

Napoleon II was the oldest legitimate son of Napoleon Bonaparte. He was born from his 2nd wife Marie Louise.

After his father's defeat and exile, his dad proclaimed him as his successor.

Though life wasn't that sweet for Jr. here. His title of Emperor of the French was very artificial, and his reign is only 15 days long.  

King Louis XVIII took over France as it's true ruler. Napoleon II spent the rest of his life quite bitter over the fact that he was a fake-Emperor. He died at the age of 21 of tuberculosis.

A Look Into History: U.S. Presidential Election of 1836

Jackson decided to retire after 2 terms, so Vice President Martin Van Buren decided to run as a Democrat. 

By this time the Whig Party had formed, and they had a interesting strategy for this election. They elected two nominees, the first being William Henry Harrison. Harrison was suppose to defeat Van Buren in the Northern States. 

While Hugh Lawson White was suppose to defeat Van Buren in the Southern States. The Whig Party would then pick the better of the two if Van Buren lost. Daniel Webster and Willie Person Magnum took a state each as a presidential candidate. They campaigned hard against Van Buren and even upset the Senate in which he was in charge of.

Because of the bizarre nominee practice, the Vice President race was thrown into the Senate. Richard M. Johnson got the most, but not the up-most majority.

 Despite that, Johnson was easily elected in the Senate versus Whig Francis Granger.

The odd strategy proved to be an easy victory for Van Buren. A split Whig vote left him 170 electoral votes versus Harrison's 73, White's 26, Webster's 14, and Magnum's 11.

A Look Into History: U.S. Presidential Election of 1832

The 1832 election saw Jackson's attempt to get a 2nd term as president. He ran on the Democratic party ticket. 

Former Speaker of the House, and then-Senator Henry Clay became the National Republican nominee. His successful attempt to deny Jackson his first presidential win 8 years before brought this election into a fitting political battle.

 William Wirt also ran on the Anti-Masonry party. They were a single-issue party who were opposed to the Freemason society.

 John Floyd was also listed as a nominee for the Nullifier party, a short-lived states rights party.

The main issue of the campaign was against Jackson's veto against the renewing the charter for the 2nd Bank of the United States (similar to the present Federal Reserve) with him being portrayed as being "too powerful". Jackson denied this and went on a platform about protecting citizens from being ruled by a rich elite within the 2nd Bank of the United States.

Despite some strong tactics by Clay, it was an almost all out win for Jackson. Jackson had 219 electoral votes versus Clay's 49. Floyd got 11, and Wirt got 7 which is admirable for distant 3rd parties.

A Look Into History: Four Freedoms

The Four Freedoms speech was FDR's State of the Union Address in 1941. It generally stated that all people in the world need; the freedom of speech, freedom to worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear. It's full text goes as follows:

"In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression—everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way—everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want—which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants—everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear—which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor—anywhere in the world. That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation. That kind of world is the very antithesis of the so-called new order of tyranny which the dictators seek to create with the crash of a bomb."

It eventually led to inspire Eleanor Roosevelt's Universal Declaration of Human Rights for the United Nations.

Famous artist Norman Rockwell also produced paintings for each of the four freedoms. They went on to become posters that raised money for war bonds. Over 130 million dollars of war bond money was collected due to the four freedoms.

A Look Into History: U.S. Presidential Election of 1828

John Q. Adams ran again to seek a 2nd term after being made president thanks to Anti-Jackson politicians in the House of Representatives.

Shortly after Adams term begun, Jackson was practically nominated with no challenger to take Adams on again. Adams was also nominated with no formal process.

The Democratic-Republican party by this time pretty much spilt in two. The ones who supported Jackson called themselves Democrats, and thus formed the party that stands today. Those who supported Adams became the National Republicans which later turned into the Whig Party.

Ironically Adam's Vice President John C. Calhoun did not become his running mate. He joined Jackson's ticket and became a Democrat.

 Secretary of the Treasury Richard Rush became Adam's running mate.

This election marked the first major event of mudslinging in presidential politics. Adams' campaign pressed the issue of Jackson's marriage to his wife not being legal since there was trouble of getting a final divorce from her first marriage. Jackson's campaign fired back with accusations of governmental corruption committed personally by Adams.

Regardless of campaign tactics, it was a clear-cut victory for Jackson. Jackson carried 56% of the popular vote, 178 electoral votes, and 15 states. Adams had only 43.6% of the popular vote, 83 electoral votes, and carried only 9 states.

A Look Into History: U.S. Presidential Election of 1824

The election of 1824 saw the spilt between the Democratic-Republican party with the nomination of 4 candidates. The first was John Q. Adams who was the son of the 2nd President, and the then-current Secretary of State. 

Running against him first was General Andrew Jackson, who was the hero of the War of 1812. 

 Secretary of the Treasury William H. Crawford also ran.

Lastly Speaker of the House Henry Clay ran as well. 

 

The funny thing was that all 4 candidates spilt the vote in certain areas. Jackson got 99 electoral votes, Adams had 84, Crawford 41, and Clay 37. Someone needed 131 votes total to win the election thus the results were put on hold.

The vote officially moved to the House of Representatives. Jackson strolled up and expected to win easy since he had the clear advantage in the general election. However Henry Clay was ousted from the vote, and used his power as Speaker of the House to influence the vote to give Adams the presidency. Let's just say Jackson was not happy.

A Look Into History: U.S. Presidential Election of 1820

Despite a depression in 1819, and disagreement over slavery, James Monroe was not challenged by any of his party members nor by a real opponent as well.

His vice president was renominated as well.

Even though he didn't really run, John Quincy Adams managed to get a single electoral vote.

So it was a pretty easy victory for Monroe. Only Washington had an easier time getting re-elected.