The Wide Awakes and Lincoln’s Victory
Within just a few months, in the summer of 1860, the ranks of the Wide Awakes swelled to over 100,000 members throughout the nation. There were almost 1,000 chapters across the country. Given the percentage of the population at the time, that would be equivalent to a group with 1 million members today. In the fall of 1860, their now almost 500,000 members mobilized and turned out the vote for Abraham Lincoln, leading to a decisive victory of 39.8% with the closest runner-up at only 29.5%.
The Wide Awakes used friendly competition and unique communication tools like educational, political comic books to educate young men and drive voter turnout. The Lincoln campaign was well aware of the activity of the Wide Awakes and actively encouraged the formation of new chapters at their campaign events. Lincoln himself was reportedly delighted by a torchlight escort of Wide Awake members who accompanied him back to his hotel after a speech in Hartford, Connecticut.
Political Instability and the Need for Belonging
As hard as it may be to believe in our current political climate, in the 1850s and 1860s politics was a way to find companionship and a sense of belonging. The era was marked by a great deal of social and political upheaval, as the tracks were being laid for the US Civil War, and getting involved in politics was a sure way to find like-minded friends. Having political membership was seen as a core component of many young people’s identities.
Political Activity in Schools
While strongly sanctioned in public schools today, schools were once a hotbed of political activity. Historian and author of The Virgin Vote: How Young Americans Made Democracy Social, Politics Personal, And Voting Popular wrote that elementary schools served as a “petri dish for popular politics.” Boys chanted partisan slogans, with one popular chant claiming “Democrats eat dead rats.” Boys would also engage in partisan-aligned fights on the school grounds, with one group of 8-year-old Republicans in Kansas famously choking a Democrat on the playground until he passed out.
Teachers also encouraged political activity, with the expectation that teachers would read all election results in the classroom. Contemporary children’s diaries contained frequent references to animated political arguments dominating the school days’ activities. Often, academic lessons seemed to be abandoned in favor of discussing the political issues of the time. This action is perhaps unsurprising with the massive unrest of the Civil War looming just over the horizon.