Last week we asked readers to figure out which five from a list of thirty nineteenth-century campaign newspaper titles were fake. Here are the answers. How did you do?
- Sober Second Thought (Hartford, CT), 1841
A Democratic newspaper supporting Martin Van Buren.
- Castigator (Middletown, CT), 1840
Another Democratic newspaper supporting Martin Van Buren.
- A Kick in the Pants – Fake
- Hard Cider Press (Chicago, IL), 1840
This is the first campaign newspaper published in Chicago. It was a Democratic paper.
- The Old Soldier (Springfield, IL), 1840
This is one of the earliest campaign newspapers known from Springfield, Illinois. It was a Whig newspaper supporting the election of William Henry Harrison. Abraham Lincoln may have worked on this publication.
- Tippecanoe Banner and Spirit of Democracy (New Albany, IN), 1840
A Whig newspaper supporting William Henry Harrison.
- Cabinet Maker (Boston, MA), 1860
This is a Democratic newspaper supporting Stephen Douglas. Like the Rail Splitter supporting Abraham Lincoln, the title of this paper is based on the trade Douglas was taught as a young lad. The aim was to present him as a candidate of the working class.
- My Worthless Opponent – Fake
- Rough and Ready (Boston, MA), 1848
A Whig newspaper supporting Zachary Taylor.
- Give ‘Em Jessie! (Groton, MA), 1856
A People’s Party newspaper. The phrase “We strike for freedom but not with a cane!” refers to the incident when Preston Brooks of South Carolina beat Charles Sumner with a walking cane in the Senate chambers over a speech Sumner gave attacking slaveholders.
- Harry of the West (Lexington, MO), 1844
A Whig paper supporting Henry Clay.
- The Slasher (St. Louis, MO), 1844
A Democratic paper supporting James K. Polk.
- Rough and Ready (Concord, NH), 1846-1848
A Democratic Republican paper published in opposition to the Tough and Steady (see number 15 below).
- The Cane Mutiny – Fake
- Tough and Steady (Concord, NH), 1847
An independent newspaper in opposition to the Rough and Ready (see number 13 above).
- Whip & Spur (Newport, NH), 1839-1856
This is a Whig newspaper that appeared during various elections between 1839 and 1856. Here are three mastheads used in 1839, 1840, and 1844.
- The Hare Splitter – Fake
- The Polk-er, and Young Hickory Advocate (Hamilton, NY), 1844
A Democratic newspaper supporting James K. Polk (as if you couldn’t guess from the title).
- The Thrasher (Hudson, NY), 1840
A Democratic newspaper supporting Martin Van Buren.
- Barnburner (New York, NY), 1848
A Free Soil newspaper supporting Martin Van Buren.
- New-York Must be Redeemed! (Rochester, NY), 1840
A Democratic newspaper supporting Martin Van Buren.
- That Ball! (Rochester, NY), 1840
A Whig paper supporting William Henry Harrison.
- The Giraffe (Cincinnati, OH), 1842
A Whig newspaper supporting the election of Thomas Corwin as governor. This is an example of a campaign newspaper printed for a local rather than national election.
- Mother’s Favorite! – Fake
- Scott Soup Bowl (Cleveland, OH), 1852
A Whig newspaper supporting Winfield Scott.
- That Same Old Coon (Dayton, OH), 1844
This is a Whig newspaper supporting Henry Clay. The symbol of the Whig party was the raccoon. This newspaper included an image of a raccoon in the masthead, and the pages were bordered by images of raccoons as well.
- Coon Dissector (Dayton, OH), 1844
A Democratic newspaper supporting James K. Polk. The symbol of the Democratic party at the time was a rooster. Instead of incorporating their own symbol into the campaign newspaper, they decided to attack their local opponent seen above in number 26. They used an image of a dead raccoon with a knife in its chest and decorated the borders with dead raccoons hanging by the neck.
- The Magician (Harrisburg, PA), 1840
A Democratic newspaper supporting Martin Van Buren.
- The Dirty Shirt (Philadelphia, PA), 1840
A Democratic newspaper supporting the election of Martin Van Buren.
- Old Granny, That Delivered the American Frontier from the British Proctor and His Army (Pittsburgh, PA), 1840
A Whig newspaper supporting William Henry Harrison.
we can campaign in newspaper too?