Having tried unsuccessfully to become the new Whig Party's only candidate for president in 1836 (he ended up being one of three), William Henry Harrison continued campaigning for the nomination until the next election cycle. At the December 1839 Whig convention, Harrison became the party's official nominee for president.

To attract support in the South, former Virginia Senator John Tyler was named the Whig nominee for vice president. The Whig strategy was to win the election by avoiding discussion of difficult national issues such as slavery or the national bank. What campaign slogan did Harrison and Tyler use in the 1840 presidential election?