The 1836 election was important because it was going to show if parties could ultimately work. 1836 was the first election after Andrew Jackson and the test was to see if the Democratic Party was strong enough to allow the party to mandate the nomination of Martin Van Buren. Van Buren was not a strong candidate but was the favorite of Jackson.
At the same time it was a test for the new Whig Party, to see if their diverse elements could come together enough to create a new party and run a national campaign.
Historically Speaking 