1864 Democratic McClellan & Pendleton Election Campaign Poster
Brandywine General Store
A Museum Quality Print of the 1864 Democratic Civil War Campaign Poster for sale by Brandywine General Store. This beautiful Currier and Ives lithograph print with water coloring features the candidates for the Presidential election of 1864. At the top leading the Democratic ticket was George McClellan and running as his vice president was George Pendleton. This was a very tumultous election as it was held in the midst of the Civil War, as a result all of the Southern States did not vote in this election. The northern and border states, plus a couple western states, gave the republican ticket with Abraham Lincoln and Johnson a huge win over this democratic ticket. The republicans garnered 212 electoral votes while McClellan and Pendleton only garnered 21 votes. The popular vote was 2,218,388 for Lincoln and 1,812,807 for McClellan. This was the first time in about 30 years that a candidate won a second term for president in the United States, the war weary citizens of the country did not want to change horses in midstream. The victory was very short lived though for Abraham Lincoln as he was assassinated just 6 weeks after the election was over. McClellan and the democrats ran as a Peace Candidate, even though McClellan himself did not believe that peace was possible until there was a decisive victory in the War. This lithograph is very similar to the corresponding one of the Republican candidates, of which we also have a copy and the two together make a very nice pair for the Civil War Historian. There are two oval portraits of McClellan and Pendleton, over the top are the American Flags and a large Eagle with Liberty portrayed. At the bottom is a farming scene with farmers loading hay onto a wagon with pitchforks, the scene was along a river, with paddle boats and sailboats filling the river. Two cornucopias are on each side of the farming scene. The bottom print says Grand National Democratic Banner and Peace, Union and Victory. Picture #11 an archival premium quality political advertising broadside print by Brandywine General Store.