Through the constant changes in American party politics, newspapers remained the preeminent medium of communicating complex thoughts in the 19th century. At the time, the majority of newspapers were either run by private businesses or political organizations. One of the earlier newspapers that was designed to support one specific president was the National Intelligencer. Established … Continue reading American Elections and Campaigns – 1800 to 1865: Politics in the Antebellum Press
The United States in the 19th century saw major changes take hold on the political, social, industrial, and electoral level. In 1804, the Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution made a series of revisions to the Electoral College, including the individual elections of both a presidential candidate and a vice presidential candidate. For changes in political … Continue reading American Elections and Campaigns – 1828: “A Sign of Things to Come.”
The first presidential election in the United States was held in 1788. George Washington - the commander of the Continental Army in the American Revolution - had recently announced his return from retirement, whereupon he agreed to run for President. As the Constitution was still being ratified by the states, the inner workings of the … Continue reading American Elections and Campaigns – 1788 to 1800: The Rise of Political Factions in the Early Republic
“The County Election” painting by George Caleb Bingham, 1846. (Public Domain) In keeping with the previous historical analyses published on this website, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum is pleased to announce its next major blog series! This new series will discuss the evolution of elections and campaigns throughout the history of the United … Continue reading New Blog Series: The History of American Elections and Campaigns
President Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan meeting Queen Elizabeth II in Buckingham Palace, 1988. (Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum) During his administration, President Ronald Reagan was engaged in many diplomatic missions across the world. One of the most famous international meetings he attended was with the then-ruling monarch of the United Kingdom, Queen … Continue reading Queen Elizabeth II & Ronald Reagan – Moments of Wit and Commitment
Illustration of Union veterans and local children decorating their fathers’ graves in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Decoration Day, 1876 (Library of Congress) Every year in the United States, Memorial Day calls for the public to remember and honor those who have fallen in the service of the Armed Forces. It is celebrated on the last Monday … Continue reading The History of Memorial Day
Democratic members of Congress hosting a press conference calling for support of the For the People Act, 2021 (Public Domain) In 2013, a landmark Supreme Court decision altered a significant segment of the VRA. Shelby County v. Holder determined that Section 4b of the VRA - the coverage formula that determines how preclearance of voting … Continue reading Legacy of the Voting Rights Act – New Challenges and Possibilities
President George W. Bush signing the reauthorization and extension of the Voting Rights Act, 2006 (National Archives) Nationwide debates regarding the Voting Rights Act returned in 1992, as the linguistic requirements drew closer to expiration. The first piece of legislation introduced to address the expiration was the Voting Rights Language Assistance Act of 1992. Developed … Continue reading Legacy of the Voting Rights Act – Bridging the Old and New Millennium
President Ronald Reagan signing the extensions of the Voting Rights Act into law, 1982 (National Archives) The new Congress of 1982 found itself considering the provisions of the Voting Rights Act as they neared expiration. A series of hearings were held featuring more witness testimonies; the majority of the 100+ witnesses supported extending the provisions … Continue reading Legacy of the Voting Rights Act – Crossroads of 1982
President Gerald Ford signing the extensions to the Voting Rights Act into law, 1975 (National Archives) The Voting Rights Act of 1965 made discrimination at the ballot box unconstitutional, but it was its special provisions that helped maintain its power. From the original VRA’s passage, the special provisions were set to expire in 1970, which … Continue reading Legacy of the Voting Rights Act – Expansions of the 1970s
You must be logged in to post a comment.