State Historical Society of Iowa

Ulysses S. Grant Campaign Poster, 1872

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Courtesy of Library of Congress, Currier & Ives : New York, 1872

Description

This campaign poster depicts the 1872 Republican presidential nominee Ulysses S. Grant as a tanner working alongside his running mate Henry Wilson, who is drawn as a shoemaker. The print shows a Republican campaign banner designed to appeal to the Labor vote by invoking the working class origins of each man. Grant wears a tanner's apron and jackboots and holds a shield decorated with stars and stripes. He is identified as "The Galena Tanner." Wilson, who holds a hammer, is identified as "The Natick Shoemaker." Grant stands near the door to a tannery, and Wilson stands before a shoemaker's bench.

Transcript of Ulysses S. Grant Campaign Poster

Source Dependent Questions

  • How were Republican candidate for president Ulysses S. Grant and his running mate Henry Wilson portrayed by the artist? Use specific evidence from the poster to support your claim.
  • What group of American voters do you think the campaign was trying to appeal to?
  • When the poster was created, Grant was most widely known for leading the Union Army to victory over the Confederacy during the Civil War. Why would the artist depict Grant the way he did? What does this tell us about presidential campaigns?

Citation Information

"The Working-Man's Banner. For President, Ulysses S. Grant, 'The Galena Tanner.' For Vice-President, Henry Wilson, 'The Natick Shoemaker,'" Currier & Ives : New York, 1872. Courtesy of Library of Congress Courtesy of Library of Congress

State Historical Society of Iowa

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