"Abraham Ain't It So" or a Political Cartoon?

A well known Lincoln Historian, Harold Holzer, wrote about Geroge McClellan's electoral win in New York City claiming that it was the result of a racist political cartoon. The article is worth reading for individuals interested in the 1864 election. The cartoon that Holzer writes about is also on our website; it is called "The Miscegination Ball."

Holzer briefly mentions some of the political reasons for opposing the Lincoln administration. On the album "Abraham Lincoln and the 1864 Election," one of the anti-Lincoln tracks, "Abraham Ain't It So" evaluates the policy reasons for disliking Lincoln, while also stirring racial animosity. As the campaign songs demonstrate from McClellan song books, these sentiments were spread much wider than New York City: McClellan did well in other urban locations as well. Political cartoons were an important part of campaigns as were the election songs; both must be evaluated closeldy to understand how candidates were perceived during presidential races.

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