Campaigns History:
Active presidential campaigning and the use of mementos for advertising did not begin until the mid eighteen hundreds.
One reason was that through 1812, a majority of presidential electors were chosen by state legislatures rather than by
popular vote. A second reason was that it was not considered proper to openly seek the office of president. After being
nominated, most candidates stayed at home and awaited the results.

It was Andrew Jackson's bitter loss to John Quincy Adams in 1824 that led him to plan political assaults and win against
Adams in 1828 and Henry Clay in 1832. A few items such as snuff boxes,  thread boxes, clothing buttons, tokens, ribbons,
and ceramic plates were made to appeal to the electorate.

1840 is considered the year when campaigns and trinkets really began to flourish.  "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" was the slogan
for William Henry Harrison and John Tyler, Whigs. Their party generated enthusiastic support with parades, political rallies,
and souvenirs that were intended to get them elected. The tradition of "Hurrah Campaigns" has diminished over the years with
modern electioneering. Much of the political activity has shifted toward special interest groups.

The twentieth century brought the age of electronic transmission, first radio, then television, and now home pages on the
Internet. All of these forums are used to reach the voting public. Media consultants view voters as members of an audience
rather than participants in a process. Gadgets such as buttons, pins, banners, and posters are not considered to be as valuable
in generating votes . This has led to a decrease in their production. It will be interesting to watch how future elections are
conducted and if broad based voter participation is ever revived.

Lapel Pins:
Lapel pins were quite fashionable in the latter part of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  Watch fobs were another
novelty item. It was a way for politicians to advertise themselves and the issues.

The currency standard was a major issue in the 1896 election between William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan.  McKinley, a
Republican, favored gold, while Bryan, a Democrat, favored free silver. Gold and silver bug pins were worn as symbols to represent
a person's position on the issue.

Post Cards:
Postcards were popular during the early years of the twentieth century from 1900 - 1912. Many were humorous.  Some poked fun at
the opposing party. Others carried slogans. One of the more novel campaign postcards was the mechanical which featured movement.
You could pull a tail on a donkey or elephant and the picture of the candidate would appear.

It was also interesting to see how the political symbols were used. The elephant for the Republican, the donkey the Democrats,
and the moose, the Progressive (Bull Moose) parties.

William Howard Taft was known as Billy Possum. This created a series of postcards with possums. Theodore Roosevelt was associated
with the bear which gave us the "teddy bear."

Tokens/Medallions:
Medalets or tokens were introduced during the Andrew Jackson era between 1824 and 1832. Some medalets had holes so that a ribbon
could be attached. These were worn as either lapel pins or badges.

Ribbons:
Campaign ribbons date back to the Jackson era in1828. Early examples had the likeness of the candidate printed on silk. In the
latter part of the nineteenth century, many ornate ribbons were produced. Some had pins and buttons attached. They were worn at
national conventions, parades, and political events.

Sheet Music:
Political music was written to stir the emotions, generate candidate support, and cast doubt on the opposition.  Many of the lyrics
in the 1800's were set to popular tunes of the day such as "John Brown's Body", "Go Tell Aunt Rody," "Yankee Doodle," and "Battle Cry of Freedom."