"President of the Republican National Convention.
Sir: I accept the nomination tendered me by the Convention over which you presided, and of which I am formally apprized in the letter of yourself and others, acting as a committee of the convention, for the purpose." -- Abraham Lincoln to George Ashmun
The 1860 campaign: maximizing the Republican vote
"Well, we might have done a more brilliant thing, but we could hardly have done a better thing."--Republican National Convention Delegate to Carl Schurz
Lincoln A Life of Purpose and Power by Richard Carwardine
Lincoln A Life of Purpose and Power by Richard Carwardine
Letter from William Cullen Bryant, editor of the New York Evening Post, to Abraham Lincoln
"The people have nominated you without any pledges or engagements of any sort; they are satisfied with you as you are, and they want you to do nothing at present but allow yourself to be elected. I am sure that I but express the wish of the vast majority of your friends when I say that they want you to make no speeches write no letters as a candidate, enter into no pledges, make no promises, nor even give any of those kind words which men are apt to interpret into promises." (June 16, 1860)
American Memory, Library of Congress
"The people have nominated you without any pledges or engagements of any sort; they are satisfied with you as you are, and they want you to do nothing at present but allow yourself to be elected. I am sure that I but express the wish of the vast majority of your friends when I say that they want you to make no speeches write no letters as a candidate, enter into no pledges, make no promises, nor even give any of those kind words which men are apt to interpret into promises." (June 16, 1860)
American Memory, Library of Congress
Edward Bates supports Lincoln as the Republican presidential candidate
"I give my opinion freely in favor of Mr. Lincoln and I hope that, for the good of the whole country, he may be elected." (July 17, 1860)
California Digital Newspaper Collection
"I give my opinion freely in favor of Mr. Lincoln and I hope that, for the good of the whole country, he may be elected." (July 17, 1860)
California Digital Newspaper Collection
In a letter to Abraham Lincoln, Simon Cameron congratulates Lincoln on his nomination and informs Lincoln on the probability he will win in Pennsylvania.
"I can now do so and am glad to say that you will get the state beyond the shadow of a doubt. Your friends need give themselves no trouble about us; and may occupy their time in making Illinois & Indiana safe. We need no help here, of any kind. The state is for you, and we all have faith in your good intentions to stand by her interests as they are connected with her coal and now beyond which we have no desires." (August 1, 1860)
University of Virginia, Valley of the Shadow Project
"I can now do so and am glad to say that you will get the state beyond the shadow of a doubt. Your friends need give themselves no trouble about us; and may occupy their time in making Illinois & Indiana safe. We need no help here, of any kind. The state is for you, and we all have faith in your good intentions to stand by her interests as they are connected with her coal and now beyond which we have no desires." (August 1, 1860)
University of Virginia, Valley of the Shadow Project
In a letter to Carl Schurz, Lincoln tries to assure him on no ill will for supporting Seward
"in preference to myself in the convention, is not even remembered by me for any practical purpose, or the slightest u[n]pleasant feeling." (June 18, 1860)
Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln
"in preference to myself in the convention, is not even remembered by me for any practical purpose, or the slightest u[n]pleasant feeling." (June 18, 1860)
Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln
Autobiography written for John L. Scripps,
"Abraham Lincoln was born Feb. 12, 1809, then in Hardin, now in the more recently formed county of Larue, Kentucky. ...March 1st. 1830---A. having just completed his 21st. year, his father and family, with the families of the two daughters and sons-in-law, of his step-mother, left the old homestead in Indiana, and came to Illinois." (June, 1860)
House Divided: The Civil War Search Engine at Dickinson College
Click here to watch a more detailed look at Lincoln's autobiography written for Jesse W. Fell by Matthew Pinsker, Dickinson College.
"Abraham Lincoln was born Feb. 12, 1809, then in Hardin, now in the more recently formed county of Larue, Kentucky. ...March 1st. 1830---A. having just completed his 21st. year, his father and family, with the families of the two daughters and sons-in-law, of his step-mother, left the old homestead in Indiana, and came to Illinois." (June, 1860)
House Divided: The Civil War Search Engine at Dickinson College
Click here to watch a more detailed look at Lincoln's autobiography written for Jesse W. Fell by Matthew Pinsker, Dickinson College.
Wide Awake Clubs
The largest Wide Awake parade took place in New York City on October 3, 1860. The men dressed in their Wide Awake uniform of cap and cape marched for two hours. The political parade also include a band, wagons, and fireworks.
Long, David E. "Wide Awakes." The Political Lincoln
The largest Wide Awake parade took place in New York City on October 3, 1860. The men dressed in their Wide Awake uniform of cap and cape marched for two hours. The political parade also include a band, wagons, and fireworks.
Long, David E. "Wide Awakes." The Political Lincoln
Campaign Banners
Lincoln managing behind the scenes
The Republican party organizations throughout the states would work to secure votes. Publicly, Lincoln avoided a direct involvement in the campaign and would not issue any statement of public policy. Privately, he sent letters (asking for confidentiality) to the Republican party state leaders to try to better direct the campaign.
Letter from Alexander K. McClure, Republican party manager for the state of Pennsylvania, to Abraham Lincoln
"Persons coming from your State to take the stump here should be of your most able & judicious stumpers. Are Messrs Davis & Swett of that class? In short are they the men you would recommend me to invite here? If so, I will have it done; and will be disappointed if much good is not done." (June 16, 1860)
American Memory, Library of Congress
"Persons coming from your State to take the stump here should be of your most able & judicious stumpers. Are Messrs Davis & Swett of that class? In short are they the men you would recommend me to invite here? If so, I will have it done; and will be disappointed if much good is not done." (June 16, 1860)
American Memory, Library of Congress
Letter from Abraham Lincoln to Abraham Jonas asking for help to squelch rumors that he was associated with the Know-Nothings
"And now, a word of caution. Our adversaries think they can gain a point, if they could force me to openly deny this charge, by which some degree of offence would be given to the Americans. For this reason, it must not publicly appear that I am paying any attention to the charge." (July 21, 1860)
Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln
"And now, a word of caution. Our adversaries think they can gain a point, if they could force me to openly deny this charge, by which some degree of offence would be given to the Americans. For this reason, it must not publicly appear that I am paying any attention to the charge." (July 21, 1860)
Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln
Letter from Abraham Lincoln to Caleb B. Smith
"From present appearances we might succeed in the general result, without Indiana; but with it, failure is scarcely possible."
(July 23, 1860)
Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln
"From present appearances we might succeed in the general result, without Indiana; but with it, failure is scarcely possible."
(July 23, 1860)
Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln
Election Results
"Thurlow Weed charged, in fact, that only the Republicans were trying to elect a president; the other three parties were trying to prevent the election of a president--to pitch the election into the House."
Lincoln's Virtues by William Lee Miller
Lincoln's Virtues by William Lee Miller
Click here to view a map of the 1860 presidential election results.
Click here to view the election results by states.