Campaign Parade Lantern, 1900
notes: label: Description
content: Political campaigns of the 19th century reflected popular traditions of commemoration and celebration—such as Fourth of July parades—that became familiar to many Americans in the early Republic. The mechanisms of popular politics not specifically called for in the Constitution—parties, nominating conventions, and electoral campaigns—drew freely on the evocative imagery of such festivities in promoting candidates and building the momentum of the campaign. Mass campaign spectacles arose as a way of demonstrating partisan strength and of mobilizing indifferent and easily distracted voters. The successful presidential campaign of Republican Abraham Lincoln perfected the nighttime torchlight parade, which enjoyed popularity into the late nineteenth century. This lantern was carried in support of the candidacy of William McKinley in 1896.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: used
content: Political Campaigns
setName: label: See more items in
content: Political History: Political History, Campaign Collection
label: See more items in
content: Government, Politics, and Reform
label: See more items in
content: American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2015.0200.055
label: catalog number
content: 2015.0200.055
label: accession number
content: 2015.0200
objectType: label: Object Name
content: lantern
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 8 1/4 in x 6 in; 20.955 cm x 15.24 cm