The 1864 Campaign
The election was a contentious one. President Lincoln, a Republican who
had served during the first four years of the Civil War, was running
against Democrat George
McClellan, who had served as a Major General in the war. The biggest
issue in 1864, of course, was how to end the bloody war that had
consumed the nation. The "Copperheads," also called "Peace Democrats,"
supported a peace agreement between the Union and the Confederacy at all
costs, even if this meant breaking up the Union or compromising with the
Southern states.
Lincoln's issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation on
January 1, 1863 helped set the tone of the presidential campaign. McClellan
believed that the proclamation was a radical step that didn't
address the problems inherent in freeing thousands of slaves, and that
Lincoln was a social tyrant whose actions would facilitate political
upheaval and would sustain the division of the Union.
Lincoln's campaign material emphasized images of peace and the
maintenance of one unified Nation. His political strategy
descended from that of William Henry Harrison. Harrison's "log cabin and
hard cider" campaign image, and his unprecedented "hurrah" and
"hullabaloo" rallies won the 1840 election. In Lincoln's 1860 campaign,
the presidential hopeful used similar images, portraying himself as a
rugged clean-shaven rail splitter from Macon County, Illinois.
Many illustrated images showed him engaged in physical labor,
although by profession Lincoln was a lawyer.
Lincoln won the 1860 election, despite the fact that competitor Stephen
Douglas circulated a great deal of material making use of the
relatively new process of photography. The images were placed on
pins, and "songsters" were distributed containing songs that glee
clubs and other musical groups could perform to support their
candidate.
Shortly after Lincoln's inauguration in 1861, the
Civil War began with the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter. The challenges
Lincoln faced as president allowed the
public to see his leadership skills and earned him respect in the
Northern states.
The strong facial
features of
Lincoln became well-known as he faced the tribulations of the
Civil War and presidential affairs. His deep-set eyes, highly
pitched cheek bones, and robust nose became noble features that came to
represent his leadership skills in office. His beard added the
aura of a respected sage. When preparations began for the 1864
campaign, Lincoln's rail splitter image had evolved to its mature
counterpart, the noble and concerned father of the Union.
Supporters wore small pins with Lincoln's photograph and sang songs
from widely-circulated songsters.
This exhibit features
songs from an Abraham Lincoln Songster circulated during the 1864
presidential campaign. The songs borrow melodies from old-time
favorites such as Yankee Doodle, changing the lyrics to
praise Lincoln or ridicule McClellan. "Yankee Doodle went to
town," became "How are you, Mister Little 'Mac?'" as sloganeers worked to
garner support for Lincoln. Slogans, brass
pins, shiny tokens, colorful flags, and inspiring songs gave Lincoln's
second campaign a good deal of popular appeal, and approximately 55
percent of the popular vote.
The items
shown on these pages give a glimpse the patriotic spirit of
Lincoln's day through the images and songs.
Above left, title page of the Lincoln Campaign Songster from the Carl
E. and Amelia Dorr Collection of the Syracuse University Library.
Philadelphia: Mason & Co., No. 58 North Sixth Street, 1864.
Lower right, last page of the Lincoln Campaign Songster with a price
list of campaign pins.
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