List of Whig National Conventions | Wikipedia audio article
1:33
List of Whig National Conventions
3:31
1848 Whig National Convention
2:17
1840 Democratic National Convention | Wikipedia audio article
For the first time in their history, the Whigs held a national convention to determine their presidential candidate. It opened in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on December 4, 1839, almost a full year before the general election. After Daniel Webster dropped out of the race, the three leading candidates were General William Henry Harrison, a war hero, former senator and ambassador, and the most successful of Van Buren's opponents in the 1836 election, who had been campaigning for the Whig nomination ever since; General Winfield Scott, a hero of the War of 1812 who had been active in skirmishes with the British in 1837 and 1838; and Senator Henry Clay, the Whigs' congressional leader and former Speaker of the House and United States Secretary of State.
Explore contextually related video stories in a new eye-catching way. Try Combster now!