History project

Plan a Political Campaign, 1850s

Part 1: Familiarize yourself with political developments of the 1850s from lecture, Montoya, and Major Problems.

Part 2: Familiarize yourself with the Library of Congress’s collections on the presidential elections

• 1856 <https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/elections/election1856.html>
• 1860 <https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/elections/election1860.html>

Part 3. List which election year and location you will focus upon (5 points)

Part 4. List which political party you will work for OR the name of the new party you will create (5 points)

Part 5. Write one paragraph on the demography of the location (use the census data) (10 points)

Part 6. Write one paragraph on the major political discussions occurring during the time of your election (15 points)

Part 7: Create a distinct Party Platform for your party.  It must contain at least five key points and no more than fifteen. Do NOT simply reprint or slightly alter the actual party platforms from the age. Try to write the platform in language similar to that of the 1850s (20 points)

Part 8:  Describe the agenda for your candidates. Explain how they should convey the Party Platform during speeches. Tell your candidates what topics they should emphasize, which they should avoid, and how they should respond to challenges. (20 points)

Part 9: Design and describe a visual symbol for your political party and candidates. Incorporate concepts that represent your party’s positions on the main issues of the day. Also, include images that challenge the positions of your political opponents. (25 points)