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Don't Change Horses in the Middle of a Stream: The Election of 1864

The election of 1864 was the first to take place during wartime since 1812. Twenty-five states participated, and soldiers in the field voted for the first time in history. President Abraham Lincoln, as National Union Party candidate, promised to continue the war until the Confederacy’s unconditional surrender. George B. McClellan ran for the Democrats as the peace candidate though he did not personally believe in the party’s platform. The fall of Atlanta in September made it clear that Union victory was possible and the support of active soldiers secured President Lincoln’s re-election.

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