Reconstruction was in full swing! But just because the Republicans had a lot of power, didn't mean that everyone in the party was happy. Would President Grant's status as a war hero be enough to win him a second term?
The end of the Civil War was in sight. But, of course, that wouldn’t be the end of America’s sectional crisis. Reconstruction posed its own set of challenges. Let’s find out how Americans faced this new era!
More Americans lost their lives in the Civil War than in any other war. Every decision weighed heavily on Lincoln, which had visible effects on his appearance. 1864 was the first election held during wartime since 1812. Allowing the election to be held at all was a crucial, frankly underrated, decision by Lincoln. Many believed the election should be postponed, but Lincoln insisted it was necessary to preserve our democracy, even if he might lose. But hey, he's the greatest president of all time for a reason.
Understandably, we mostly think about Abraham Lincoln as a wartime president, and rarely as a candidate. Believe it or not, voters in 1860 didn’t know he was the greatest president ever! Before Lincoln could put the country back together, others had to tear it apart. It's time for the most consequential election in American history.
Tensions were rising in America and things were looking pretty grim. The Whigs got obliterated in the last election. Could the remnants of their party pick up the pieces before the Southern Democrats enacted their pro-slavery vision?
Once again, the Whigs were in control of the presidency. Last time, William Henry Harrison died after a month and John Tyler went rogue. But that’s not going to happen this time, right? RIGHT?!
The last election featured the first real dark horse winner, James K. Polk. He pledged to complete his agenda in one term. Is a successful, one-and-done president possible? And where does that leave the parties?
Uhh, good luck, Democrats! I can't imagine how they will overcome the fired up base that William Henry Harrison built, especially after he cleans up the mess Van Buren left him. He will surely have the most successful presidential term ever! 1844, here we come!
For the last few elections, Henry Clay and the Whigs have been scrambling to respond to the Democratic coalition that Andrew Jackson built. But they’ve finally learned how to campaign and are ready to go after the Average Joe vote. Can William Henry Harrison out-Jackson the Democrats?
By 1836, it was clear that the Jackson Revolution was here to stay. The Democrats had totally transformed American politics, specifically the electoral process! But could they benefit a candidate other than Andrew Jackson? Martin Van Buren was ready to put the party organization to the test.
Election Tuesdays 