Sometimes we think that presidential elections have gotten really dirty in recent years. Believe it or not, historians tell us it was even worse in the 19th century.
Here’s a scene from the 1860 presidential election, which ultimately produced Abraham Lincoln. Actually, this is a movie set that I blundered into in my car in Bisbee last December. Trying to find my way through the historical part of town, I turned the wrong way and found a bunch of “drunks” trying to chase me off the street. After I finally extracted myself from the scene, I found a place to park, got out the camera and made a photographic record of the 1860 election.