A New Take on Historical Presidential Elections

[BridgeTroll]

If you are interested in Presidential election campaigns of our early history this is pretty interesting...

http://www.realclearhistory.com/articles/2012/09/21/presidential_elections_from_adams_to_lincoln_35.html

September 21, 2012
Presidential Elections from Adams to Lincoln
By Patrick Spero


In the spring of 2012, a small cadre of Williams College students participated in an experimental history course on the American Presidents. Instead of producing papers, as is the norm in most history classes, the students created video campaign ads for the presidential elections from John Adams to Abraham Lincoln.

There was a catch, though. The students could only use images, quotes, documents, and music from the era. They couldn't use anything that came afterward. An image of the White House burning in 1812 would not work for the election of 1808. They couldn't use images of Leutze’s famous Washington Crossing the Delaware, a product more reflective of the 1840s than the 1770s. Their assignment was to capture the spirit of the age â€" not the spirit of our historical memory. 

RealClearHistory hosted the entire series, with 12 segments in all, each with the best videos the students produced. 

We began with John Adams’ 1796 election and concluded with Lincoln's victory in 1860. Here's a complete list with links to each:

1796: John Adams (Federalist) vs. Thomas Jefferson (Democratic-Republican)
http://www.realclearhistory.com/articles/2012/03/03/what_if_adams_and_jefferson_did_attack_ads_6.html

1800: Thomas Jefferson (D-R) vs. John Adams (F)
http://www.realclearhistory.com/articles/2012/03/10/adams-jefferson_ii_getting_nastier_7.html

1808: James Madison (D-R) vs. Charles Pinckney (F)
http://www.realclearhistory.com/articles/2012/03/19/madison_dambargo_and_1808_election_8.html

1812: James Madison (D-R) vs. DeWitt Clinton (F)
http://www.realclearhistory.com/articles/2012/04/02/presidential_campaign_and_war_of_1812_9.html

1816: James Monroe (D-R) vs. Rufus King (F)
http://www.realclearhistory.com/articles/2012/04/16/attack_ads_in_era_of_good_feelings_10.html

1824: John Quincy Adams (D-R) vs. Andrew Jackson (D-R) and Henry Clay (D-R)
http://www.realclearhistory.com/articles/2012/04/30/adams_jackson_and_the_corrupt_bargain_11.html

1828: Andrew Jackson (Democratic) vs. John Quincy Adams (National Republican)
http://www.realclearhistory.com/articles/2012/06/08/adams_jackson_in_brutal_rematch_22.html

1840: William Henry Harrison (Whig) vs. Martin van Buren (D)
http://www.realclearhistory.com/articles/2012/06/26/tippecanoe_and_rise_of_whigs_28.html

1844: James Polk (D) vs. Henry Clay (Whig)
http://www.realclearhistory.com/articles/2012/07/07/a_mess_of_an_election_over_texas.html

1852: Franklin Pierce (D) vs. Winfield Scott (Whig)
http://www.realclearhistory.com/articles/2012/08/27/the_demise_of_the_whigs_32.html

1856: James Buchanan (D) vs. John Fremont (Republican) and Millard Fillmore (American)
http://www.realclearhistory.com/articles/2012/09/10/democrats_take_on_a_brand_new_party_33.html

1860: Abraham Lincoln (R) vs. Stephen Douglas (D) and John Breckinridge (D)
http://www.realclearhistory.com/articles/2012/09/18/lincolns_election_puts_union_on_the_brink_34.html

[dougskiles]

Though Lincoln received a majority in the Electoral College, he received only 40 percent of the popular vote, meaning a substantial majority of voting Americans supported the more pro-slavery platforms of the other three contenders. If one were to take a poll, most voters would likely have supported popular sovereignty in new states and accepted slavery in states where it already existed. Americans â€" including many in the North â€" had yet to reach a clear consensus on slavery and the rights of African Americans within the country.

I didn't know that (or possibly forgot it).  Lincoln's popular vote percentage was the second lowest ever.  The lowest was John Q. Adams with 31%.

[BridgeTroll]

Did you check out some of the student campaign vids?

[Tacachale]

Though Lincoln received a majority in the Electoral College, he received only 40 percent of the popular vote, meaning a substantial majority of voting Americans supported the more pro-slavery platforms of the other three contenders. If one were to take a poll, most voters would likely have supported popular sovereignty in new states and accepted slavery in states where it already existed. Americans â€" including many in the North â€" had yet to reach a clear consensus on slavery and the rights of African Americans within the country.

I didn't know that (or possibly forgot it).  Lincoln's popular vote percentage was the second lowest ever.  The lowest was John Q. Adams with 31%.

Well, it's a little skewed, and the rules have changed substantially over time. In the early days not every state even held a popular vote, and instead let the state representatives pick. John Q. Adams actually came in behind Andrew Jackson in both the popular and electoral vote, but was elected president by Congress as no one got a majority. That wouldn't happen today.

In addition, three other presidents (Hayes, Harrison, and George W. Bush) actually lost the popular vote but still won the election. Though they got a higher percentage of the total than Lincoln, Lincoln in contrast easily won both the popular and electoral votes. However, it's clear that only happened because the Democratic Party split.