Tide Turns Case 1
Re-election
Father Abraham Again!
In an age before mass media, political candidates often had to reach potential voters through objects they could hold in their hands. Abraham Lincoln’s 1864 reelection campaign was no exception, despite occurring in the midst of a massive civil war. Here, we see campaign coins that supporters would have worn or shared, simply providing Lincoln’s image as a reminder he was again running for president.
The newspaper behind the coins is a uniquely 19th-century phenomenon: the “campaign paper.” Throughout Lincoln’s political career, he relied on temporary newspapers, printed just for political campaigns, to promote him and his platform. They offered a variety of content. This issue, published just a month before the election, features a pro-Lincoln song set to the melody of a popular Confederate anthem, a letter attacking Democratic candidate George McClellan, a raunchy joke about Illinois General John A. Logan, and pro-Republican testimony from other generals.
Label Audio
NP-E456. F378 1864 October 4
AC-LR2378
AC-LR2379