Greg Borchard
University of Florida
Horace Greeley, editor of the Log Cabin, enjoyed his first major political victory in 1840 with the election of Whig candidate William Henry Harrison to the presidency. Greeley’s role in the race revolutionized the art of campaign advertising. He was successful because Harrison’s image was tailored to meet the desires of an energized electorate.
The Whigs maximized their support by developing ads that addressed the struggling economy, and the log cabins of the nation’s westward settlements were co-opted as symbols of freedom and security on an array of campaign materials. Harrison was promoted as “the Log Cabin Candidate,” setting the tone for the multi-media endeavor. Greeley shaped the party’s image into a desirable one by cross-marketing literature and propaganda with assorted songs, ads, and material tokens. Newspaper and journal articles reinforced Whig-organized activities including rallies, parades, meetings, and dances.
This paper cites a cross-section of materials from the “Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too,” campaign and suggests that Greeley and other Harrison supporters were acutely aware of salient issues that affected the voting public. This paper suggests that the Whigs did more than simply stir a “commotion” through a number of modern, sophisticated mass media techniques: Greeley’s own editorial style helped secure the success of his candidate, which also depended on the public’s desire for change.