138 
Indiana University 
chusetts all gave Democratic victories. Mississippi went to 
the Whigs, due largely to the personal influence of Seargeht 
Prentiss of that state.^^ 
During this period, the political power of the Abolitionists 
amounted to very little. Once in a while, as in Ohio, they 
made themselves felt, but this was done while acting within 
the old parties. In the New Hampshire election of 1839, they 
cast 1,750 votes. This is fairly typical of their vote in those 
states where they were strongest. 
The successes of this period were followed by the sub-panic 
of 1839, which seemed to throw the whole Democratic party 
into confusion. The state and congressional elections follow- 
ing this were uniformly in favor of the Whigs. Alabama, 
Mississippi, Vermont, Maine, Georgia, and North Carolina 
had state elections in 1839. In each, the Whig vote exceeded 
the expectations of the party leaders.®^ 
Most of the states held congressional elections before the 
presidential election. Here the Whigs were likewise success- 
ful. The Congress of 1841-1843 had 25 more Whigs 
than that of 1839-1841 and 33 more than in 1836. 
Only four states showed a Democratic gain over 1838, while 
thirteen showed a Whig gain. Before the presidential elec- 
tion came off, it v/as a foregone conclusion that Harrison 
would be elected as the next president. 
Memoir of ,S. S. Prer.tiss, edited by his brother (New York, 1858), II, 136-138. 
89 Neiv Hampshire Patri it and State Gazette, May 27, 1839. 
99 Nete Haven (Conn.) Evening Palladium, August 26, 1840. 
