1844

15A-1066523

15B-1066524

15C-1066525

Harrison's death a month after taking office brought to the Presidency John Tyler, who proposed the annexation of the Republic of Texas, an issue which soon shook the country. Van Buren's stand opposing annexation lost him the Democratic nomination in 1844, and James K. Polk became the Democratic candidate. In order to appease Northerners opposed to the annexation of a slave state, the Democrats included in their platform the occupation of Oregon. Clay was nominated easily by the Whigs, as we see in this punning cartoon (15A-1066523).

Bad prophecy runs rampant in cartoons of this election. Here Clay's salamander-steed passes all others in the picture, while Polk, the winner, is not even included (15B-1066524). Here Clay pitches Polk out of the window while "Lady Texas" is kept out of the room (15C-1066525). This reflects Clay's anti-annexation stand, which he later softened to gain Southern votes.

The tariff was another issue of the campaign. Here are two cartoons predicting Clay's victory, carried on the shell of the tariff, and depicting Polk's conflicting stands on the issue (15D-1066526,15E-1066527). Another cartoon shows Clay, the Whig "cock" defeating Polk (15F-1066528).

Punning on "Polk," as we have seen, was a favorite sport of cartoonists; here politicians dance the "polka," described as "one step forward and two steps back." (15G-1066529)Nevertheless, it was Polk who stepped into the presidency.