United States
HISTORY

Baltimore

Election of 1844

Start Your Visit With ... Historical Timelines Chronological Eras Information Tables General Interest Maps Glossary History Quizzes What Made Today Famous???

Travel and History Blog Share Hello, world. Featured articles on Elections. Events Election of 1789 Election of 1792 Election of 1796 Election of 1800 Election of 1804 Election of 1808 Election of 1812 Election of 1816 Election of 1820 Election of 1824 Election of 1828 Election of 1832 Election of 1836 Election of 1840 Election of 1844 Election of 1848 Election of 1852 Election of 1856 Election of 1860 Election of 1864 Election of 1868 Election of 1872 Election of 1876 Election of 1880 Election of 1884 Election of 1888 Election of 1892 Election of 1896: Republican McKinley defeats Democrat Bryan Election of 1900: McKinley wins again with Teddy Roosevelt as VP Election of 1904: Theodore Roosevelt wins the election Election of 1908: Passing the baton to William Howard Taft Election of 1912: The Bull Moose Party Makes it a Three-Way Race Election of 1916: Now just two parties, but same results as 1912 Election of 1920: Republican and the Return to Normalcy Election of 1924 Election of 1928: High water mark for Republicans Election of 1932: Changing the Guard Election of 1936: A Democratic Landslide Election of 1940: On the Eve of War Election of 1944: Four Terms for FDR Election of 1948: Dewey Does (not) Defeat Truman Election of 1952 Election of 1956: Eisenhower wins Re-election Election of 1960: Kennedy Becomes First Catholic President Election of 1964: Johnson Triumphs over Goldwater Election of 1968: The Renaissance of Richard Nixon Election of 1972: Nixon Leads the Way Election of 1976: A Reaction to Watergate Election of 1980: The Year of the Conservative Comeback Election of 1984: Reaganism is Endorsed Election of 1988: Bush succeeds Reagan Election of 1992: Democrats recapture the Center Election of 1996: Ross Perot Made It Interesting Election of 2000: Year of the Hanging Chad Election of 2004 And More Absentee Voting

Most Popular Searches

Elections

The frontrunners for the presidential nominations in both parties, Henry Clay (Whig) and Martin Van Buren (Democrat), feared that the annexation of Texas would split their parties. The two political professionals agreed to cloud the issue in the hope of keeping it off center stage. They expressed a willingness to support annexation if Mexico would agree; there was absolutely no chance that would occur.

President Tyler used this situation to advance his feeble hope for a second term. Lacking support from either party, he attempted to build support by backing the annexation of Texas.

Clay easily won the 1844 Whig nomination, but Van Buren ran into trouble at the Democratic convention, which was held in Baltimore on May 27-29, 1844. The delegates reinstituted an old rule that required a two-thirds majority for nomination, rendering it impossible for Van Buren's anti-annexation campaign to succeed. For the first time in American history, a true "dark horse" candidate (meaning a candidate who had received little notice before the convention) was able to secure the nomination. James K. Polk of Tennessee appealed to the delegates because he was a protégé of Andrew Jackson (called "Young Hickory"), had initially supported the frontrunner Van Buren, and was an outspoken advocate of annexation. Polk won the 1844 nomination on the ninth ballot.

The campaign was confusing and bitter. Clay was confident of victory, believing that the pro-annexation vote would be split between Polk and Tyler. However, Tyler recognized the hopelessness of his cause and pulled out of the race. Polk and the Democrats espoused the expansionist position, calling for the "reoccupation of Oregon" and the "reannexation of Texas." The cry of "Fifty-four Forty or Fight!" was raised by the Democrats, condemning the British presence in the Northwest. Clay belatedly switched his position on annexation. Newspaper attacks targeted both major candidates, Clay labeled a drunkard and Polk chided as an unknown, repeatedly asking "Who is James K. Polk?"

Polk's margin in the Electoral College was substantial, but the popular vote in the presidential election of November, 1844, was extremely close. His boisterous expansionism played very well in the West and he lost just Ohio and Tennessee. The anti-slavery campaign of James G. Birney of the Liberty Party drew away sufficient votes to deny Clay the presidency.

Election of Candidates	Party	Electoral Vote	Popular Vote
James K. Polk (TN) George Mifflin Dallas (PA)	Democratic	170	1,339,368
Henry Clay (KY) Theodore Frelinghuysen (NJ)	Whig	105	1,300,687
James G. Birney (KY) Thomas Morris (OH)	Liberty	0	62,103

---

? Election of 1840

All Elections Table

Election of 1848 ?