These political cartoons, published as cartes de visite, highlight the outcome of the 1864 presidential election in which incumbent Republican Abraham Lincoln trounced his Democratic Party rival, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, by 10 points in the popular vote, and 212-21 in the Electoral College. The win set aside any concerns Lincoln had about his electability during the months leading up to the contest, and the margin of victory served as a mandate for his policy to prosecute the Civil War to its successful conclusion. The cartoons overlook a significant fact—the election occurred during a fratricidal war.
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