No Tyler Presidency.

What if someone other than John Tyler is given the Whig nomination for Vice President in 1840? Now for the purposes of this discussion, assume that Harrison is still given the Presidential nomination, and he dies on schedule. Now, I'm not sure who this hypothetical alternate President in Tyler's place might be, but there might be very interesting implications down the line. As far as I can recall there was some fight over whether Tyler was President, or Acting President of the United States. Tyler insisted he was the former. Anyway, what happens if the man who would be Harrison's successor accepts the idea that he is merely the acting President, what are the implications here? Also, any thoughts who this hypothetical person might be?
 
It'd certainly change constitutional theory about Presidenital succession if the man after Harrison didn't follow Tyler. I cannot recommend anyone to replace Tyler, but it would very likely have to be a Southerner. (Shame though, as "Tippecanoe and Tyler too" as an excellent ring to it)
 

Thande

Donor
It'd certainly change constitutional theory about Presidenital succession if the man after Harrison didn't follow Tyler. I cannot recommend anyone to replace Tyler, but it would very likely have to be a Southerner. (Shame though, as "Tippecanoe and Tyler too" as an excellent ring to it)

Daniel Webster was the convention's first choice.

"Hard Cider and Dan Webster!" ?

Nah, doesn't have the same ring to it, does it.
 
Just to be obvious. And besides the animosity between the two, how about Henry Clay.

That would be interesting, but the failures of the Whigs during that time was placed on Clay's shoulders. You'd have to handwave that, but then it makes Clay a better looking canidate than Harrison...
 
Why not instead of Harrison dying on schedule simply have William Henry Harrison live? This would mean that in the future if any President is assassinated in office that the Vice-President would be sailing uncharted waters and depending on the circumstances this could be either very good or potentially a minefield for the United States and its republican institutions...or even a President having a very poorly-timed case of untimely death...
 
That would be interesting, but the failures of the Whigs during that time was placed on Clay's shoulders. You'd have to handwave that, but then it makes Clay a better looking canidate than Harrison...

Agreed, a supporter of clay - yes, but Clay himself - unlikely in 1840. Besides, Clay wanted to be President not VP (a non-entity). Imagine Clay's regret had he been offered but declined Harrison's offer of the Vice Presidency in 1840. :(

I see 2 potential TLs here: "Clay's regret" or "Clay Crumbles" (he declines and is imbittered as missing his chance to become VP and thus POTUS upon Harrison's death) and "Indomitable Clay" (he becomes Harrison's running mate and thus VPOTUS and then POTUS upon Harrison's death).
 
I see 2 potential TLs here: "Clay's regret" or "Clay Crumbles" (he declines and is imbittered as missing his chance to become VP and thus POTUS upon Harrison's death) and "Indomitable Clay" (he becomes Harrison's running mate and thus VPOTUS and then POTUS upon Harrison's death).

Crumbling Clay or Clay's Catastrophe.
 

Thande

Donor
Why not instead of Harrison dying on schedule simply have William Henry Harrison live? This would mean that in the future if any President is assassinated in office that the Vice-President would be sailing uncharted waters and depending on the circumstances this could be either very good or potentially a minefield for the United States and its republican institutions...or even a President having a very poorly-timed case of untimely death...

RobertP did that TL a while back; in his opinion President Harrison could have led to the Nullification Crisis becoming an earlier US Civil War.

If his term is uneventful however you'd be right, it would be storing up a time bomb for the future--like how there's no immediate succession system if a British PM dies in office, because the last time it happened, it was so many years ago (1865) that back then you could afford a week or two with no PM while it was sorted out.
 
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