U.S. presidential election, 1864

The U.S. presidential election of 1864 was conducted in the middle of the Civil War, and as such the Confederate states did not participate. The war was taking a heavy toll in terms of lives and resources, and as such incumbent President Abraham Lincoln was seen as vulnerable.

Related Topics:
Civil War - Confederate states - President - Abraham Lincoln

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Lincoln/Johnson ticket ran with the slogan "Don't change horses in the middle of a stream," and over time a series of Union victories culminating in the capture of Atlanta, Georgia by forces led by General William Tecumseh Sherman restored his popularity. Meanwhile, the absence of the southern states from the election gave Lincoln an enormous advantage over his opponent, and on November 8 he won by over 400,000 popular votes and easily clinched an electoral majority. This was the first election in which soldiers serving in the field were allowed to cast ballots (however, this was not the case in every state). It was widely assumed - and indeed evident in the soldiers' corps - that those serving in the Army were going to turn out heavily for Lincoln; the expectation was validated as Lincoln received more than 70% of the soldier's vote.

Related Topics:
Atlanta, Georgia - William Tecumseh Sherman - November 8 - Army

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~