Government, Politics, and Reform

March on Washington Handbill

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln are all represented in the Museum's collections—by a surveying compass, a lap desk, and a top hat, among other artifacts. But the roughly 100,000 objects in this collection reach beyond the possessions of statesmen to touch the broader political life of the nation—in election campaigns, the women's suffrage movement, labor activity, civil rights, and many other areas. Campaign objects make up much of the collection, including posters, novelties, ballots, voting machines, and many others. A second group includes general political history artifacts, such as first ladies' clothing and accessories, diplomatic materials, ceremonial objects, national symbols, and paintings and sculptures of political figures. The third main area focuses on artifacts related to political reform movements, from labor unions to antiwar groups.

Date: 1860s

Impeachment Ticket

associated date
1868 04 17
associated person
Johnson, Andrew
ID Number
PL.227739.1868.R06
catalog number
227739.1868.R6

Civil War Draft Wheel

Wooden draft wheel used during the Civil War. The names of men eligible for the draft were written on slips of paper and dropped into this wheel. An official pulled out names to fill the ranks of the Union army.Transfer from the War Department, 1919Currently not on view
Description
Wooden draft wheel used during the Civil War. The names of men eligible for the draft were written on slips of paper and dropped into this wheel. An official pulled out names to fill the ranks of the Union army.
Transfer from the War Department, 1919
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1861-1865
ID Number
PL.025222
catalog number
25222
accession number
64127

Poll Book, 1864

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1864
ID Number
PL.297602.04
accession number
297602
catalog number
297602.4

Ulysses S. Grant's chair from Appomattox

On April 9, 1865, General Ulysses S. Grant and General Robert E. Lee met in the home of Wilmer McLean at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, to negotiate the surrender of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to the United States Army.
Description
On April 9, 1865, General Ulysses S. Grant and General Robert E. Lee met in the home of Wilmer McLean at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, to negotiate the surrender of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to the United States Army. Sitting in the chair on the right, Grant discussed the fate of Lee's troops. Then, leaning over the oval table, he drafted and signed the final terms of surrender. While there were still Confederate troops in the field under other commanders, Lee's surrender effectively marked the end of the Civil War.
Union officers, recognizing the significance of the event, individually took pieces of furniture as souvenirs. General E. W. Whitaker grabbed Lee's chair, General Henry Capehart claimed Grant's chair, and General Philip Sheridan took the table and presented it to the wife of Major General George Amstrong Custer. In three separate donations, by 1915, these items were reunited at the Smithsonian Institution.
Date made
before 1865
associated date
1865-04-09
associated person
Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson)
ID Number
PL.010517
catalog number
010517
accession number
45493

Your Plan and Mine

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1864
associated person
Lincoln, Abraham
McClellan, George B.
associated institution
Currier & Ives
ID Number
PL.227739.1864.A42
catalog number
227739.1864.A42

Wooden chip cut from a railroad tie, Promontory, Utah, 1869

Traveling west with his mother in June 1869, eight-year-old Hart F. Farwell stopped at Promontory, Utah, to cut a chip from a special railroad tie.
Description
Traveling west with his mother in June 1869, eight-year-old Hart F. Farwell stopped at Promontory, Utah, to cut a chip from a special railroad tie. The previous month, on May 10, 1869, the ceremonial “Golden Spike” had been driven into the “last tie” to complete the first transcontinental rail link in the United States.
The joining of east and west by rail at Promontory was a significant event in American life and culture. A national network of iron, steel, and steam, represented by the driving of the Golden Spike, became a unifying metaphor in the years after the Civil War.
But, alas, the railroad tie from which young Farwell cut this chip was not the real “last tie.” After the driving of the Golden Spike, the ceremonial last tie was immediately removed and replaced with a pine tie no different from the others. In the weeks and months following the ceremony, relic hunters whittled replacement ties to bits at the rate of about one tie a week. The wooden chip that Farwell cut from one of these ties was his lifelong possession.
Gift of Hart F. Farwell, 1922
date made
1869
associated date
1869
ID Number
PL.032197
catalog number
32197
accession number
68308

Union Electoral Ticket

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated person
Bell, John
ID Number
PL.227739.1860.T05
catalog number
227739.1860.T05
accession number
227739

Campaign Parade Torch, 1860

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.
Description
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 ring torch was used in an 1860 campaign parade.
ID Number
PL.227739.1860.H03
catalog number
227739.1860.H03
accession number
227739

Abolishing Slavery

associated date
1865 01 31
associated person
Lincoln, Abraham
ID Number
PL.008007
catalog number
8007
accession number
35752

Lincoln Funeral Pall, April 28, 1865

Black silk cloth used to drape over Lincoln’s coffin while his body lay in state in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 28, 1865. The same cloth later covered the coffin of President James A. Garfield, who in 1881 became the second president to be assassinated.
Description
Black silk cloth used to drape over Lincoln’s coffin while his body lay in state in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 28, 1865. The same cloth later covered the coffin of President James A. Garfield, who in 1881 became the second president to be assassinated. The date of April 25, 1865 on the pall's label is incorrect. Lincoln's body lay in state in Cleveland on April 28, 1865—on April 25, Lincoln's funeral train was in New York.
Gift of the Lake County Historical Society, 1962
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1865-04-25
1881
associated person
Lincoln, Abraham
Garfield, James A.
ID Number
PL.242158.10
catalog number
242158.10
accession number
242158

Campaign Snuff Box, Seymour/Blair

Horatio Seymour ran as the Democratic president in 1868, trying to unite the party that had been deeply damaged by the Civil War. Seymour was a reluctant candidate, and genuinely did not want to run.
Description
Horatio Seymour ran as the Democratic president in 1868, trying to unite the party that had been deeply damaged by the Civil War. Seymour was a reluctant candidate, and genuinely did not want to run. However, he was nominated in a campaign that focused heavily on the status of the south and the role of African-Americans in America. The makers of this snuff box were overeager, listing the years of his potential administration as 1869 to 1873. He was easily defeated in 1868 by Ulysses S Grant.
date made
c 1868
associated date
1869
1873
associated person
Blair, Frank
ID Number
PL.236642.02
catalog number
236642.02
accession number
236642

Abraham Lincoln Life Mask by Clark Mills, 1865

On February 11, 1865, about two months before his death, Abraham Lincoln permitted sculptor Clark Mills to make this life mask of his face. This was the second and last life mask made of Lincoln. The strain of the presidency was written on Abraham Lincoln’s face.
Description
On February 11, 1865, about two months before his death, Abraham Lincoln permitted sculptor Clark Mills to make this life mask of his face. This was the second and last life mask made of Lincoln. The strain of the presidency was written on Abraham Lincoln’s face. His secretary, John Hay, remarked on the dramatic difference in Lincoln’s two life masks. He noted that the first mask, produced by Leonard Volk in 1860, “is a man of fifty-one, and young for his years. . . . It is a face full of life, of energy, of vivid aspiration. . . . .The other is so sad and peaceful in its infinite repose . . . . a look as of one on whom sorrow and care had done their worst without victory is on all the features.”
Gift of Theodore Mills, the artist’s son, 1889
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1865
associated person
Lincoln, Abraham
Mills, Clark
maker
Mills, Clark
ID Number
PL.004853
catalog number
4853
accession number
21843

Abraham Lincoln

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1909
associated date
1809-02-11
1865-04-15
depicted date
1865-04-20
referenced
U.S. War Department
Stanton, Edwin McMasters
depicted (sitter)
Lincoln, Abraham
ID Number
PL.227739.1865.S07
accession number
227739
catalog number
227739.1865.S07

The Democratic Presidential Convention at Chicago, August 1864- Exterior View of the Wigwam at the Opening

associated date
1864 08
associated institution
Democratic National Party
ID Number
PL.227739.1864.G16
catalog number
227739.1864.G16

Grant and His Family

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1867
depicted (sitter)
Grant, Ulysses S.
Grant, Julia Dent
ID Number
PL.002980
catalog number
002980
accession number
18528

Campaign Badge, Harrison

associated date
1868
1892
associated person
Frelinghuysen, Theodore
Harrison, Benjamin
ID Number
PL.227739.1892.J22
catalog number
227739.1892.J22
accession number
227739

Maryland Union Ticket

More so than the distinguishing marks of party symbols or candidate portraits, color helped observers identify party ballots as they were cast—and who cast them. Voting was still not entirely secret. The parties printed and distributed paper ballots cut from sheets.
Description
More so than the distinguishing marks of party symbols or candidate portraits, color helped observers identify party ballots as they were cast—and who cast them. Voting was still not entirely secret. The parties printed and distributed paper ballots cut from sheets. The Maryland Union Ticket was white in the 1860 election.
date made
1860
ID Number
PL.227739...T28
catalog number
227739.*.T28
accession number
227739

Casts of Abraham Lincoln's Face and Hands

Chicago artist Leonard Volk produced this plaster life mask of Abraham Lincoln in April 1860. Volk made the casts of Lincoln’s hands on May 20, two days after the Republican Party nominated him for the presidency.
Description
Chicago artist Leonard Volk produced this plaster life mask of Abraham Lincoln in April 1860. Volk made the casts of Lincoln’s hands on May 20, two days after the Republican Party nominated him for the presidency. Lincoln’s right hand was still swollen from shaking hands with supporters. To steady his hand in the mold, Lincoln went out to the woodshed and cut off a piece of broom handle. Volk later placed the piece of handle in the cast displayed here.
In 1886 Volk’s son sold the casts of Lincoln’s face and hands to a group that proposed having the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens make a limited set of replicas.
In 1888 the 33 supporters of this project presented Volk’s personal copies of the life mask and hands, along with bronze replicas produced by Saint-Gaudens, to the U.S. government for preservation. The donation was made on the condition that “the original plaster casts should never be tampered with.” Any future casts could only be made from the bronze replicas.
Gift of the Thirty-three Subscribers, 1888
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1860
depicted (sitter)
Lincoln, Abraham
artist
Volk, Leonard Wells
maker
Volk, Leonard Wells
ID Number
COLL.VLKCST.005005
accession number
20084

Mexican Saddle

This military saddle, decorated with the Mexican national emblem, was taken as a battle trophy during the Mexican War after the American victory at Cerro Gordo, Mexico.In 1848, the United States defeated Mexico in a war for control of the southwestern territory that extended from
Description
This military saddle, decorated with the Mexican national emblem, was taken as a battle trophy during the Mexican War after the American victory at Cerro Gordo, Mexico.
In 1848, the United States defeated Mexico in a war for control of the southwestern territory that extended from Texas to California. Many Americans hailed the victory as fulfilling their "manifest destiny" to expand across the continent. But expansion also posed new challenges to American democracy, including the extension of slavery and preserving the rights of Mexican citizens living in the ceded territory.
Location
Currently not on view (strap; strap fragment)
Date made
ca. 1840-1860
associated user
Harney, William Selby
ID Number
CL.005664
accession number
22920
catalog number
5664

Surgical Instruments used at Lincoln's Autopsy, 1865

On April 15, Surgeon General Joseph K. Barnes directed an autopsy on Lincoln’s body in the White House. The name of the surgeon who performed the autopsy was not recorded. The instruments he used were given to Alfred D. Wilson, a young doctor who assisted in the procedure.
Description
On April 15, Surgeon General Joseph K. Barnes directed an autopsy on Lincoln’s body in the White House. The name of the surgeon who performed the autopsy was not recorded. The instruments he used were given to Alfred D. Wilson, a young doctor who assisted in the procedure. They remained in Wilson’s family until they were donated to the Medical Society of the County of Kings in Brooklyn, New York, in 1935.
Gift of the Medical Society of the County of Kings, 1983
Location
Currently not on view
date made
by 1865
Associated Name
Lincoln, Abraham
ID Number
COLL.MEDKIT.005002
accession number
1983.0051

Original Photographic Print of Lincoln's Inauguration, 1861

On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln took the presidential oath of office. No president, before or after, entered the office with the nation in such peril. Seven Southern states rejected the results of the presidential election and formed the Confederate States of America.
Description
On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln took the presidential oath of office. No president, before or after, entered the office with the nation in such peril. Seven Southern states rejected the results of the presidential election and formed the Confederate States of America. Four more states soon joined them.
Fear of violence hung in the air. Just two weeks earlier Jefferson Davis had taken the oath of office as president of the Confederate States of America. Soldiers blocked off the cross streets and sharpshooters manned the roofs along Pennsylvania Avenue.
The unfinished Capitol dome loomed in the background as if to symbolize the uncertain state of the nation.
Lincoln began his inaugural address by appealing to Southern secessionists. He promised to defend states rights and protect slavery where it existed. But he made it clear that he would defend the Constitution and the Union. He ended his speech with a plea to find common ground. To some Northerners, his remarks seemed to be too conciliatory, but to many people in the South, they sounded like a declaration of war.
Gift of Capt. Montgomery Meigs, 1892
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1861
associated date
1861 03
associated person
Lincoln, Abraham
ID Number
1996.0090.0135
accession number
1996.0090
catalog number
1996.0090.135

1863 Susannah Pullen's Civil War Quilt

Mrs. Gilbert (Susannah G.) Pullen and her Sunday school class made this pieced quilt in Augusta, Maine in 1863. She followed the guidelines set by the U.S. Sanitary Commission for bedding to be used in the Civil War.
Description
Mrs. Gilbert (Susannah G.) Pullen and her Sunday school class made this pieced quilt in Augusta, Maine in 1863. She followed the guidelines set by the U.S. Sanitary Commission for bedding to be used in the Civil War. The fourteen young ladies in the Sunday school class contributed over 150 inscriptions that were penned on the quilt's fifteen separate star-patterned blocks. They chose Bible passages, stories to uplift and guide, and riddles to which the answer was only to be found in the Bible. They also provided numerous inscriptions on practical health advice, patriotic messages, and light-hearted riddles. Even personal messages such as: "If you are good looking send me your photograph. Direct to the name in the large square. E.G.D." appeared on the quilt. It was hoped that the quilt would not only provide a diversion for the wounded soldiers during their long days recovering in hospital but also "alleviate or prevent disease and lead to happiness and Heaven." The numerous inscriptions on this quilt provide an insight into the feelings and concerns of the period and perhaps all war eras.
Susannah Pullen expressed hope for correspondence when she penned these words on the quilt: "We have many dear friends connected with the army & any proper letters from any persons embraced in the defense of our country, received by any whose names are on this quilt shall have a reply. Tell us if nothing more its destination. We meet with many others to sew for you every Wednesday and your letters would prompt us to more exertions for our patriots." Two letters remain with the quilt and attest to its use at the Carver and Armory Square Hospitals in Washington D.C. A letter from Sergt. Nelson S. Fales of Nov. 22, 1863 eloquently expresses his gratitude: "Dear Madam I have had the pleasure of seeing the beautiful 'Quilt' sent by you to cheer and comfort the Maine Soldiers. I have read the mottoes, sentiments, etc., inscribed thereon with much pleasure and profit."
On the back of the quilt Susannah Pullen penned these words: “The commencement of this war took place Apr. 12th 1861. The first gun was fired from Fort Sumter. God speed the time when we can tell when, and where, the last gun was fired; & ‘we shall learn war no more.’ If this quilt survives the war we would like to have it returned to Mrs. Gilbert Pullen, Augusta, Me . . . This quilt completed Sept. 1st 1863.” It did survive use during the Civil War, and it was returned to Mrs. Pullen as she requested.
Susannah G. Corey was born in Brookline, Massachusetts in 1816. She married Gilbert Pullen (1810-1890) April 26, 1840. Gilbert was listed as a marble cutter on the 1850 census. They lived in Augusta, Maine with their two daughters, Susan E. and Charlotte. Susannah and Gilbert were members of the First Baptist Church. Susannah died November 26, 1871, and is buried in the Forest Grove Cemetery in Augusta, Maine.
Susannah Pullen's Civil War Quilt was exhibited at a library in Augusta, Maine, for many years. Over time the inscriptions faded, but fortunately a transcription of them was made in the early-twentieth century. In 1936 Susannah’s granddaughter, Gertrude B. Davis, donated the quilt in her mother’s name, Charlotte Pullen Scruton. It is a reminder of the efforts of the many women who used their needlework and organizational skills to provide comfort for the armies of both the North and South.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1863
quilter
Pullen, Mrs. Gilbert
quilters
unknown
ID Number
TE.T07726
accession number
138338
catalog number
T07726

Douglas, Johnson and the Union

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1860
referenced
Johnson, Herschel V.
depicted (sitter)
Douglas, Stephen A.
ID Number
PL.315264.4067
catalog number
315264.4067
accession number
315264

Abolishing Slavery

An engraving of the Congressional Resolution of the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery. The 13th Amendment was ratified in December 1865.Currently not on view
Description
An engraving of the Congressional Resolution of the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery. The 13th Amendment was ratified in December 1865.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1864
circa 1865
ID Number
PL.35752.8007
accession number
35752
catalog number
35752.8007

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