November 7, 2010
THE CIVIL WAR. NOW.
November 7, 1860
One of the hardest fought and bitterly-contested elections in American history took place yesterday and, as expected, Abraham Lincoln was elected the next President of the United States of America.
Although all votes have yet to be tallied, the Lincoln/Hamlin ticket has received enough electoral votes in the Northern States to secure victory. Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Oregon and California have all gone Republican. John Bell has captured Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee for the Constitutional Unionists, while the Southern Democrat John C. Breckinridge has carried North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Texas and Arkansas. Missouri, Louisiana, Delaware, and Maryland are still undetermined.
With 152 electoral votes (out of 303) needed for victory, Lincoln appears to have secured 180. In the popular vote, however, Lincoln’s performance looks less impressive. Though not all returns have been tabulated he appears to have secured no more than 40% of the popular vote. -- The Long Recall: An Aggregator of the Civil War @ The American Interest
Posted by Vanderleun at November 7, 2010 11:38 PM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.
One of the interesting things I did as a newspaper archivist was look up our old newspapers on microfiche. The Lancaster Intelligencer Journal (democratic party paper) and Lancaster New Era (Republican party paper) both have their archives in the same vault. I looked up the election of Lincoln on the IJ of that era, and it was glum reading. A tiny woodcut of Lincoln took maybe two inches and a column devoted to the election, while the New Era had a banner of crowing roosters above the fold. Journalism's always been a partisan effort, and the truth was never an insurmountable obstacle.
It was the same way when Lincoln died. The IJ had it covered, but the New Era really poured kerosene on the fire.
Posted by: Jewel at November 8, 2010 7:18 AM
The Republican radicals ran riot after Lincoln's death, and it became apparent he had been the only thing restraining them. Hard to imagine that Republicans were radicals and Democrats were reactionaries.
Posted by: james wilson at November 8, 2010 11:32 AM
And Lincoln ever once complained about the mess that his predecessor had left him.
Posted by: Fat Man at November 8, 2010 11:40 AM
Who was a Lancastrian, by the way Fat Man.
Posted by: Jewel at November 8, 2010 2:22 PM
A Red Rose?
No, all I heard of him was that he was a Nancy boy.
Posted by: Fat Man at November 8, 2010 6:04 PM
Yeah, a Nancy boy from the Red Rose City. For some odd reason, his home is a tourist attraction.
Posted by: Jewel at November 9, 2010 2:14 AM
Damn Jewel, who woudda ever thunk it?
Posted by: Vermont Woodchuck at November 9, 2010 9:46 AM
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