1839 Whig National Convention

1839 Whig National Convention

1840 presidential election
Nominees Harrison and Tyler
Convention
Date(s)	December 4–8, 1839
City	Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Venue	Zion Lutheran Church[1]
Candidates
Presidential nominee	William H. Harrison of Ohio
Vice presidential nominee	John Tyler of Virginia
1844 ›

This article is part of a series about William Henry Harrison
Electoral history Family Military service Northwest Indian War Siege of Fort Recovery Battle of Fallen Timbers Tecumseh's War Battle of Tippecanoe War of 1812 Siege of Fort Wayne Battle of the Thames 9th President of the United States Presidency Appointments Cabinet Campaign for the presidency Convention Tippecanoe and Tyler Too Election Inauguration
v t e

The 1839 Whig National Convention was a presidential nominating convention held from December 4 to December 8 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It was the first national convention ever held by the Whig Party, and was organized to select the party's nominee in the 1840 presidential election. The convention nominated former Senator William Henry Harrison of Ohio for president and former Senator John Tyler of Virginia for vice president.

After Daniel Webster dropped out of the race, the three leading candidates for the Whig nomination were General Harrison, who had been the most successful Whig candidate in the 1836 presidential election; General Winfield Scott, a hero of the War of 1812; and Senator Henry Clay, the Whigs' congressional and philosophical leader. With Southern delegates united behind him, Clay led on the first presidential ballot, but failed to win a majority. Harrison won the nomination on the fifth ballot after several delegates switched from supporting Clay or Scott. The convention chose Tyler, a Southerner and Clay supporter, to serve as Harrison's running mate. The Whig ticket went on to win the 1840 election, defeating incumbent Democratic President Martin Van Buren.