Description:

Abraham Lincoln
Menard County, IL, November 4, 1844
Abraham Lincoln Serves as Whig Presidential Elector for Henry Clay in Illinois
ADS

[ABRAHAM LINCOLN.] Thomas Peake, A. D. Wright, and John C. Ley, Autograph Document Signed, Abstract of Votes given for Electors, November 4, 1844, Menard County, Illinois. 2 pp., 8" x 9.875". Expected folds; some soiling on integral leaf; very good. Ex-King V. Hostick.

This document from Menard County, Illinois, records the votes for Abraham Lincoln as a presidential elector for Whig Henry Clay. Menard County voters cast 397 votes for Lincoln and the other eight Whig electors and 378 votes for the nine Democratic electors. Although Clay won in Menard County and Lincoln's home county of Sangamon, he lost Illinois by a margin of 53.9 percent for Democrat James K. Polk to 42.1 percent for Clay.

Lincoln also served as a presidential elector for Whig William Henry Harrison in 1840 and Republican John C. Frémont in 1856.

Excerpt
"Abstract of votes given for Electors of President and vice President of the United States in the County of Menard and State of Illinois on Monday the fourth day of November in the year of our Lord one Thousand Eight hundred and forty four
"S. Lisle Smith received three hundred and Ninety Seven votes for Elector of President and Vice President
"Abraham Lincoln received three hundred and Ninety Seven votes for Do"

Historical Background
John Tyler was the incumbent, having taken office on the death of William Henry Harrison in 1841. Tyler had been expelled from the Whig Party after he vetoed key pieces of their legislative program; he hoped to use the annexation of Texas to win the election as an independent.

Texas was a threat to the unity of both major political parties. Annexation would expand American slavery geographically and threaten a war with Mexico over the disputed boundary. Meanwhile, the United States was already in sensitive negotiations with the United Kingdom to determine the boundary between America's Oregon country and the British possessions in western Canada.

Former President Martin Van Buren, who lost to Harrison in 1840, was the early favorite for the Democratic nomination, but his opposition to annexation harmed his appeal. The Democratic National Convention instead chose James K. Polk (1795-1849), Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and former Governor of Tennessee. His vice-presidential running mate was George M. Dallas (1792-1864) of Pennsylvania. Their platform emphasized American expansion and Manifest Destiny, adamantly supporting Texas annexation. Tyler soon dropped out and endorsed Polk.

The Whigs, triumphant in 1840, but feeling betrayed by Tyler, returned to long-time leader Henry Clay (1777-1852) of Kentucky, who had been a candidate for the Presidency in 1824 and 1832 and sought the Whig nomination in 1840 and 1848. Whigs chose former U.S. Senator Theodore Frelinghuysen (1787-1862) of New Jersey as their vice-presidential candidate. Although Clay claimed not personally to oppose annexation, he said he would only accept Texas annexation with northern acquiescence. His awkward attempts to please both northerners and southerners confused voters.

Both Polk and Clay were slaveholders, and a growing antislavery movement coalesced politically around the Liberty Party, which again nominated James G. Birney (1792-1857) of Michigan for the presidency. His running mate, former Democrat Thomas Morris (1776-1844) of Ohio, died just weeks after the election. Birney's small third party played a surprisingly decisive role. The Liberty Party attracted 15,800 votes in New York, which Polk won by 5,100 votes. If most of those who voted for Birney had voted for Clay in New York, Clay would have won the state's 36 electoral votes and the Presidency.

At the election held between November 1 and December 4, 1844, Polk won 49.5 percent of the popular vote to Clay's 48.1 percent. Polk carried 15 states with 170 electoral votes, while Clay won only 11 states with 105 electoral votes. Birney failed to win any electoral votes and won only 2.3 percent of the vote nationwide, but the 3.25 percent of the vote he won in New York may have shifted that state and the presidency from Clay to Polk.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE

  • Dimensions: 8" x 9.875"
  • Medium: ADS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

April 23, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000