Words to Remember
During each election season, presidential candidates create catchy phrases that help to define their campaigns. Here’s a look at some of the more memorable ones.
“Tippecanoe and Tyler Too”: In 1811, Gen. William Henry Harrison won an important battle against the Indians, the Battle of Tippecanoe, in Indiana. He and vice presidential candidate John Tyler used the slogan in 1840 to remind voters of his victory.
“Vote Yourself a Farm”: In the 1860 election, Abraham Lincoln strongly favored legislation that would give any person settling in the West a free homestead.
“Full Dinner Pail”: William McKinley used the slogan in his 1900 campaign for reelection to recall the prosperity the country experienced during his first term.
“He Kept Us Out of War”: The U.S. had not entered World War I during Woodrow Wilson’s first term (1913–1916). But in 1917, shortly after his reelection, the U.S. did enter the war.
“Return to Normalcy”: In the 1920 election, Warren G. Harding promised that under him, life would return to normal following the dark days of World War I.
“A Chicken in Every Pot and a Car in Every Garage”: During the 1928 election, Herbert Hoover told voters that they would be well off economically if he were president. Little did he know that he would soon face the worst depression in the country’s history.
“I like Ike.” Dwight Eisenhower drew on his nickname and his personal appeal for his short but memorable 1952 slogan. For his 1956 reelection campaign, he used the slogan “Peace, Prosperity, Progress,” calling for peace and a strong economy in the years after the U.S. fought in the Korean War.
