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Campaign Banner for William Henry Harrison

(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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William Henry Harrison was the Whig candidate for United States President in 1840. At the time, the two major political parties were the Whigs who were generally wealthy businessmen, southern plantation owners and middling farmers especially in New England and the northern Midwestern states, and the Democrats who were largely supported by smaller farmers and urban artisans and laborers. In the 1840 presidential campaign, the Whigs turned to traditional Democratic Party tactics by depicting Harrison as a hero and common man. Several images on this political banner remind voters of Harrison's political and military triumphs. The center image depicts him as an Indian-fighting military officer. His popular nickname, "Tippecanoe," refers to his wartime defeat of Tecumseh and his coalition of Native nations from the Old Northwest in their efforts to halt American expansion into their territories. The remaining images show Harrison at the plow and with a log cabin, when in reality, Harrison was a well-educated, upper-class Virginian. Harrison won the Presidential election, but after serving a month in office, he died of pneumonia.

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