United States House election, 1840
Encyclopedia
The U.S. House election, 1840 was an election for the United States House of Representatives
in 1840.
The 1840 election gave the Whig Party control of the House of Representatives for the first time. The Panic of 1837
had created an economic depression and the perceived mishandling of this crisis by President Martin Van Buren
, gave the Whigs the presidency (William Henry Harrison
was elected) and a majority in the House. The Whigs campaigned for neo-mercantilist reform based on modernization and economic nationalism, ideas which had previously been unpopular outside of urban regions, but gained footholds because of the depression. The engulfment of the Anti-Masonic Party in 1839 also gave the Whigs the advantage of having several incumbents turn from rivals to party members.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in 1840.
The 1840 election gave the Whig Party control of the House of Representatives for the first time. The Panic of 1837
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis or market correction in the United States built on a speculative fever. The end of the Second Bank of the United States had produced a period of runaway inflation, but on May 10, 1837 in New York City, every bank began to accept payment only in specie ,...
had created an economic depression and the perceived mishandling of this crisis by President Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson ....
, gave the Whigs the presidency (William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
was elected) and a majority in the House. The Whigs campaigned for neo-mercantilist reform based on modernization and economic nationalism, ideas which had previously been unpopular outside of urban regions, but gained footholds because of the depression. The engulfment of the Anti-Masonic Party in 1839 also gave the Whigs the advantage of having several incumbents turn from rivals to party members.
Overall results
| Party | Total seats (change) | Seat percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whig Party | 142 | +33 | 58.7% |
| Democratic Party | 98 | -27 | 40.5% |
| Independents | 2 | +2 | 0.8% |
| Totals | 242 | 0 | 100% |