"Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too!" American Political Campaign Slogans

"Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too!" American Political Campaign Slogans
Letitia Tyler: Law, Politics and Govt

Skill: Middle School
Time Required: 2-3 class periods

Required Documents

Introduction:

Letitia Tyler suffered a stroke shortly before her husband, John Tyler, became the President after the death of William Henry Harrison. She was the first presidential wife to pass away while her husband was in office. President Tyler never sought his own election to the Whitehouse, which is somewhat ironic because his name was a prominent part of the first memorable slogan that was part of a presidential campaign. William Henry Harrison the hero of the battle of Tippecanoe included John Tyler as his running mate in 1840, hoping for support from southern states'-righters who could not stomach Jacksonian Democracy. The slogan "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" implied flagwaving nationalism plus a dash of southern sectionalism.

Objectives:

1. The students will recognize various presidential campaign slogans and be able to attribute them to the correct presidential candidate.

2. The students will be able to research and explain accurately the relevance of specific campaign slogans.

Materials Required:

Internet access; Presidential Campaign Slogan Work Sheet.

Procedures:

1. The teacher will introduce the concept of slogans to the class by sharing famous advertising slogans with them. Writing these on the board, or creating a brief PowerPoint, could do this or simply reading the slogans aloud to see which ones are recognizable to the students. Here are some examples: “They’re Magically Delicious” Lucky Charms, “It’s Finger Lick’in Good” Kentucky Fried Chicken, “The Breakfast of Champions” Wheaties, “What’s in Your Wallet?” Capital One Bank. “Taste the Rainbow” Skittles. Many more can be found at the following website: http://www.thinkslogans.com/slogans/advertising-slogans/

2. The teacher will then discuss with the class why they think slogans work well in advertising. Then the teacher will transition the discussion to what kind of advertising is used by political candidates. Finally the teacher will explain to the class that beginning with the election of William Henry Harrison (Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too) presidential candidates began to use slogans to catch the attention of voters, and keep their names and ideas in the voter’s minds.

3. Using the books and websites below to begin their research, the students will complete the “Presidential Campaign Slogan Work Sheet” included with this lesson as an exercise in both research and reinforcement of the concept of presidential slogans. During this exercise the students will identify famous campaign slogans with specific candidates and be able to explain accurately the significance and result of specific campaign slogans.

Extending the Lesson:

Assigning students other presidential campaign slogans to research on an individual basis could extend this lesson. Students could also create their own campaign slogans for current candidates or for candidates in school or local elections.

Sources & Resources:

Learning Standards:

Preparing America's Students for Success (Common Core as Adopted/Adapted in the States)

Books:

Boller, Paul F. Presidential Campaigns: From George Washington to George W. Bush. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Roberts, Robert North and Hammond, Scott John. Encyclopedia of Presidential Campaigns, Slogans, Issues, and Platforms. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2004.

Websites:

Presidential Campaign Slogans

AdvertisingSlogans

Credits: This lesson was developed by Robert McClelland, Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

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