Campaign Parade Torch
date: label: Associated Date
content: 1880 - 1884
notes: label: Description
content: The successful presidential campaign of Republican Abraham Lincoln perfected the nighttime torchlight parade as an entertainment of unprecedented scale that attracted the attention of men, women, and children. The concept originated in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1858, and was revived for Lincoln’s campaign by the city’s young Republicans. Tailored oil-resistant enameled cloth capes distinguished the marchers, some of whom were too young to vote. Their example spread from Hartford to cities in the northeastern United States, which contributed traveling companies totaling some ten thousand uniformed men with torches to a Grand Procession in New York City on October 3, 1860. The martial spectacle—including fireworks, Lincoln “Wide Awake” transparencies, and floats—created envy among the city’s Democrats, and panic among southern sympathizers who regarded the torch-lit parade as a provocation. This torch is shaped like a glass ballot jar.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Political History: Political History, Presidential History 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: PL.227739.1880.H4
label: accession number
content: 227739
label: catalog number
content: 227739.1880.H4
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Torch
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 10 in x 6 in x 4 1/2 in; 25.4 cm x 15.24 cm x 11.43 cm