The American Vote
2024 result
Second Party SystemAll 5 grade bands · K-2 through APFree download

1840

Lesson plan.
William Henry Harrison vs Martin Van Buren — William Henry Harrison and the Whigs defeated incumbent Van Buren with the first modern media campaign, the famous 'Log Cabin and Hard Cider' campaign portraying Harrison as a rough frontier hero. The Panic of 1837 had devastated Van Buren's popularity. Voter turnout surged to 80%, reflecting the maturation of mass-participation politics. Harrison died of pneumonia just 31 days after his inauguration, leaving John Tyler — a Democrat in Whig clothing — as president.
What is in each packet
Contents of each grade band’s packet
BandReadingVocabularyQuestionsDiscussionAlso
K-2257 words4 terms31 promptimage, answer key
3-5583 words5 terms41 promptanswer key
6-8810 words6 terms62 promptsprimary source, answer key
9-12941 words7 terms72 promptsprimary source, answer key
AP1134 words9 terms81 promptprimary source, second source, long essay, answer key
Primary sources quoted
  • Inaugural Address
    William Henry Harrison, March 4, 1841 · 6-8, 9-12, AP
    Harrison, "Inaugural Address" (Washington, DC, March 4, 1841). Public domain.
  • Tyler Letter on Succession ("Vice President Tyler is now President")
    John Tyler, April 9, 1841 · AP
    Tyler, "Letter on Succession" (Washington, DC, April 9, 1841). Public domain.
Quick quiz

Five questions on 1840

Every answer here is read off the 1840 returns — the same rows the packets below are built from.

  1. Who won the 1840 presidential election?

    • AJames K. Polk
    • BHenry Clay
    • CWilliam Henry Harrison
    • DMartin Van Buren

  2. Which party did the winner of the 1840 election represent?

    • ADemocratic
    • BNational Republican
    • CDemocratic-Republican
    • DWhig

  3. How many electoral votes did William Henry Harrison win in 1840?

    • A148
    • B170
    • C234
    • D60

  4. Which of these states did William Henry Harrison carry in 1840?

    • AMaryland
    • BNew Hampshire
    • CArkansas
    • DIllinois

  5. Which era of American politics does the 1840 election belong to?

    • ASecond Party System
    • BGilded Age
    • CEra of Good Feelings
    • DReconstruction

Not yet fact-checked. This packet was drafted with AI tools and has not been checked claim by claim. Please verify its facts before teaching from it. Tell us about an error.

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