[ 563 ] U.S. History GED ® TEST SOCIAL STUDIES FLASH REVIEW _____________ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • While we are now familiar with political campaigns, the first modern-style political campaign for the presidency occurred in 1840 when William Henry Harrison defeated Martin Van Buren. The campaign featured the candidate touring the country repeating his stump speech wherever he went, a smear campaign and other dirty tactics, misrepresentation of the candidates, and the first catchy campaign slogan, “Tippercanoe and Tyler, Too,” which referred to Harrison’s war victory over the Indian Tecumseh and to the vice presidential candidate, John Tyler. Harrison was portrayed as a man of the people while Van Buren was portrayed as an aristocrat, which was the opposite of the truth. Harrison was born into wealth while Van Buren worked his way up from humble beginnings to become vice president of the United States. The Whigs, Harrison’s party, also had a great understanding of how to get out the vote and how to work the electoral college, which allocates votes to candidates based on the states they win by popular vote, to their advantage. The percentage of turnout was much higher than it is today. Even though Harrison narrowly won the popular vote, he won the electoral vote in a landslide. According to this passage, the main cause of Harrison’s victory in the 1840 presidential election was a. lack of interest of the voters. b. the appeal of a catchy slogan. c. a coordinated modern campaign. d. the lack of experience of his opponent. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived? Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?