Changes

Although Jackson was a Democrat, which was then the main party in the South, Jackson's stance toward the South opposed nullification and secession.

Although Jackson was a Democrat, which was then the main party in the South, Jackson's stance toward the South opposed nullification and secession.

==Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, and John Tyler==

==The "Accidental Presidency"==

After Jackson had served as President for two terms, his vice president, Martin Van Buren was elected in 1836.  Van Buren was the only person of non-British (or non-Irish) descent ever to become president.  Then there was the financial panic of 1837, perhaps due to Jackson’s refusal to allow a national bank.  This hurt Van Buren's popularity.

By 1840 the anti-Jackson Whig Party was stronger, and more clever.  To win its first presidential election, it ran the war hero William Henry Harrison (who had defeated the Indians much earlier).  The Whig Party also exploited the financial panic of 1837 and some clever slogans.  The Whig Party also pulled another trick:  it nominated the Democrat John Tyler for Vice President.  That is one of only two times that one party has nominated as its vice president a member of the other political party (the other time was when Abraham Lincoln picked Andrew Johnson as his vice president to try to avoid the Civil War).  In 2008, the Republican candidate John McCain reportedly wanted to choose the former Democrat Joe Lieberman has his vice president, but choose Sarah Palin instead at the insistence of others in the Republican Party.

In the election of 1840, the anti-Jackson Whig party very was clever.  Van Buren was no military hero, and he had been hurt by the economic problems.  Historians say that the outcome in virtually every presidential election can be predicted by looking at how the economy is doing.  When the economy is struggling, the incumbent loses.  When the economy is thriving, the incumbent wins.  Van Buren was hurt by a poor economy, with many voters out-of-work.  Watch out for all those farmers on election day!

Historians say that the outcome in virtually every presidential election can be predicted by looking at how the economy is doing.  When the economy is struggling, the incumbent loses.  When the economy is thriving, the incumbent wins.  Van Buren was hurt by a poor economy, with many voters out-of-work.  Watch out for all those farmers and unemployed factory workers on election day!

Whigs won in 1840 with a slick campaign strategy.  They picked a military hero, William Harrison, who had beaten the Indians in Ohio at Tippecanoe, as their nominee.  They chose John Tyler, a Virginian, as their Vice Presidential candidate.  Then the Whigs used clever slogans.  Van Buren was “Van, van the used up man!”  (think the economy).  The Whig candidates were “Tippecanoe and Tyler too!”  Since military heroes had been successful as Democrats, the Whigs tried running a military hero of their own.

William Harrison became the first Whig candidate to win the presidency.  But as an arrogant man, he insisted on participating in his inauguration in frigid weather, without a coat or hat, and on speaking for over an hour to an outdoor crowd.  He caught pneumonia and died a month later.

Harrison, however, insisted on participating in his inauguration in frigid weather, without a coat or hat.  He caught pneumonia and died a month later.  The first succession of VP to President then occurred, as Tyler took office.  He ruled like a Democrat, and in fact had long been a Democratic-Republican before joining the Whig ticket.  He was one of only a few times in history that the Vice President was from a different party than the President (other examples were Vice President Thomas Jefferson under President John Adams, and Vice President Andrew Johnson under President Abraham Lincoln).

The president had never died in office before, and uncertainty arose.  The Constitution states that "In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President." "Devolve" the powers did to John Tyler, the Democrat opposed to what the Whig Party stood for.  (Only with the 25th Amendment in 1967 was it fully clarified that the vice president actually became president, rather than merely exercise the powers of the presidency).  

Tyler, showing his true colors as a Democrat upon becoming President, vetoed the national bank.  This infuriated the Whig Party, which was formed partly to establish a national bank after Jackson vetoed it.   

Tyler showed his true colors as a Democrat upon becoming President, and vetoed the national bank.  This infuriated the Whig Party, which was formed partly to establish a national bank after Jackson vetoed it.  In fact, Tyler vetoed the entire Whig agenda.  Within months the Whig Party retaliated by officially expelling him from the Whig Party, and referring to him derisively as "the man without a party" or "His Accidency."  Harrison's entire cabinet, except for Daniel Webster (who was finishing his negotiations of an important treaty with Canada), resigned.  Henry Clay from Kentucky was one of those who resigned in disgust.

Tyler was just a one-termer.  In fact, every president from Van Buren until the Civil War served only one term.

Tyler did not care.  In 1842 he vetoed a tariff, which infuriated the Whigs further.  Eventually John Quincy Adams, the former president, led an impeachment effort against Tyler based on his veto.  It failed, but it illustrated how little some congressmen thought of him.  No one had tried to impeach a president before.  Congress also overrode one of Tyler's vetoes with a 2/3rd majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, which was the first time that even happened.

Clay led resignation of most of his Cabinet; 1842 Tyler vetoed tariff, House sought impeachment, then 1st override of veto by Cong."

Tyler lasted just one term.  In fact, every president from Van Buren until the Civil War lasted only one term, as the nation became increasingly divided.

==The Alamo==

==The Alamo==