The 1840 presidential race between Democrat Martin Van Buren and Whig challenger William Henry Harrison captivated the nation in an emotional and often unrestrained contest considered the first modern campaign. Harrison and his running mate, John Tyler, disagreed on important matters, including slavery and the role of the president, but Whig organizers avoided those issues and instead promoted Harrison as an Indian fighter and war hero. When eastern newspapers mocked Harrison as a simple man better suited to drinking hard cider in his log cabin than serving as president, the Whigs turned the attack to their advantage by making him the log cabin candidate, while portraying Van Buren as an aristocratic and aloof incumbent. William Henry Harrison was marketed to the American people through newspapers, parades, merchandise, rallies, hard cider, whiskey, and the famous slogan, "Tippecanoe and Tyler too!" Gimmicks such as rolling a ball from one end of Ohio to the other created excitement and attention, and Harrison became the first candidate to stump by marching from town to town and addressing voters directly.
