1841: The Year of Three Presidents
William K. Bolt is an Associate Professor of History at Francis Marion University in Florence, SC, where he teaches classes about the American Revolution, the Civil War, Jacksonian America, and U.S. Economic History. An expert in pre-1877 U.S. History, Professor Bolt earned a PhD. in History from the University of Tennessee and is the author of Tariff Wars and the Politics of Jacksonian America.
Overview
In 1841, there were three men in the White House: Martin Van Buren, who left office; William Henry Harrison, who died shortly after taking office; and John Tyler, who had been Harrison’s vice president. Some of the major political events of this time will sound quite familiar to contemporary Americans, such as a disputed election, a last-minute Supreme Court appointment, and a party divided between different leaders. In addition to the parallels between 1841 and contemporary American politics, Professor Bolt will discuss how a major political party, the Whigs, went from the dominant political party in America to a party that found itself on the road to extinction.