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 Summary: Uniformed marching society rallied support for the 1860 Lincoln campaign.
[LINCOLN ELECTION]. Double-swivel kerosene torch used exclusively by the pro-Lincoln marching club, the Wide Awakes, in various localities during the election of 1860. 55” tall with original, soft-wood pole, pierced at the bottom. Original design patented, but pattern pirated by various manufacturers. A very fine specimen.
Inventory #11883 $3,750
In 19th-century America, political parties mobilized their supporters to a degree not seen today. One of the best-known organizations was the Wide Awakes, a Republican marching society with chapters throughout the North. Wearing matching oil-cloth caps and capes, the Wide Awakes carried kerosene torches such as this one in nighttime parades to emphasize their vigilance against the Southern slavocracy’s assaults on liberty. The marchers created an aura of excitement and inevitability around Lincoln’s presidential campaign, and as one participant noted, “Those uniformed and marching companies were the precursors of the regiments which, carrying musket and bayonet instead of the torch, sprang into being six months later at Lincoln’s call.”
Historical Background:
Beyond ensuring turnout at the polls, party organizations like the Wide Awakes rallied their members for mass public demonstrations and parades. These events provided opportunities both for firsthand participation in politics and for social fraternity, particularly among younger men. And as reflected in the above quote from Philadelphia participant William J. Palmer, these associations left a valuable legacy of idealism and unity in the aftermath of the 1860 campaign which Lincoln would tap into once the first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter.
Reference: http://members.tripod.com/~american_almanac/prometh1.htm
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