POTUS  #7 Andrew Jackson’s second term was coming to and end. He remains one of the most controversial POTUS in American history. His hand chosen successor was his Vice-President 53 year-old  Martin Van Buren. Martin Van Buren in a lot of ways invented what we would call the political machine. Van Buren was from New York. He had served as President Jackson’s Secretary of State and then his Vice-President. Van Buren was Jackson’s man and that meant everything when it came to the Democratic Party choosing their candidate at their convention in  May 1835. Martin Van Buren was an easy winner. Jackson was able to get Van Buren the nomination but he had a more difficult time getting the approval for the Vice-Presidential Candidate Richard Johnson. Johnson was a war hero during the War of 1812. Johnson lived openly with a black woman and had fathered two daughters with her. He presented his family out in public. This was 1836 not 2012. This did not go over well with the southern democrats.  Jackson was able to finally get enough support so Johnson would be on the ticket.

The Whigs were divided and for the only time in the history of presidential elections in the United States, a major party presented more than one candidate for POTUS. They would have four candidates on the ballot. The hope was each who had popularity in a different region of the country would defeat Van Buren in their region.

The Whig Party formed in 1834 and would be the rival party of Jackson’s Democratic Party. The four candidates they put on the ballot were- William Henry Harrison a former senator from Ohio, Hugh Lawson White a senator from Tennessee, Senator Daniel Webster from Massachusetts {one of the Mount Rushmore members of Congress} and Willie Mangum of North Carolina.

The Democrats were well organized and confident of victory. They couldn’t work up too much hate in the campaign. The worst they could do was call the four Whig candidates ‘federalists, nullifiers and bank men” It was really an election about President Jackson as anything else. Those who liked Jackson would be voting for Martin Van Buren, those who didn’t would vote for one of the Whigs.

below Whig candidate- Senator Daniel Webster of Massachusetts

The final results were not close. Martin Van Buren won the presidency with 50.8 % of the vote. William Henry Harrison came in second with 36.6 % and Hugh Lawson White 9.7 %. In the Electoral College Van Buren won 15 states and 170 votes. Harrison 7 states and 73 votes, White 2 states and 26 votes, Daniel Webster had 1 state and 14 votes and Willie Magnum had one state and 11 votes.  Martin Van Buren of New York was to be the 8th POTUS.

This would be the last election until 1988 in which an incumbent Vice-President was elected POTUS other than by the death or resignation of a president, George Bush in 1988 would be elected after he served eight years as Ronaldus Magnus’ Vice-Daddy.

below outgoing POTUS Andrew Jackson

The Vice Presidency was another matter. Richard Johnson, Van Buren’s running mate did not receive enough electoral votes to win election and the US Senate had to vote on it. Johnson easily beat Francis Granger in that vote. This is the only time a Vice President had to be decided by a US Senate vote.