Presidential Election of 1860

The Presidential Election of 1860 is a huge piece of American history. If the election had not happened, we might still have slaves. It is alarming to think about how the nation was changed by theCivil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, and Abraham Lincoln himself.


Abraham Lincoln was known by many names. Old Abe, Abe , Honest Abe, to name a few. He is often quoted. I have seen his name in many unlikely places. he is on the penny and $5 bill.

Lincoln's Cabinet was one of the strongest ever. they worked hard and long days piecing together speeches and amendments. They ended up with the Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation, and many other speeches Lincoln gave during his one-term, four-year presidency.


Stephen Arnold Douglas was the runner-up. I included him because I think of him as a reminder of what America could have been. He received nearly 20% of the vote.

The Emancipation Proclomation is one of the most important documents of our time. Abe Lincoln issued it on January 1, 1863, three years after he was elected and the second year of the Civil War. It said that "all persons held as slaves" within the Confederacy "are, and henceforward shall be free." It later becamethe Thirteenth Amendment.

Elections of any kind are incredibly important. They don't produce unless everyone works toward a common goal.

Artist's Statement

I think that the presidenial election of 1860 was an extremely important part of American, and world, history. It simultainiously pulled the nation together and tore it apart. The Civil War started just one year after the election. Abraham Lincoln, the Republican who won the election, was the best president of the United States so far, in my opinion. He tore the county in two, while unknowingly, he was pulling it together. Sometimes people do that. They take a huge risk and it pays off. Lincoln was incredibly bold. He wrote the Emancipation Proclomation, and was later assassinated If the election had not ended in his favor, the United States could have been in totally different shape by 1900, let alone 2008. I chose to do the election of 1860 because it turned the nation around in less than one million votes. I hope everyone, especially the New Orleans Art Council, enjoys my piece!

Thank you,

Madi Moskowitz, Frank's Design Team
March 2008