Scott Fyall

HIST 359

Pro Van Buren 1848

            For this advertisement I focused on the primary platform of the Free Soil Party prior to the U.S. Presidential Election of 1848: no slavery in the new territories. First off, the song chosen for this video, “Now Let Me Fly” (performed by Kim and Reggie Harris), was a popular slave song at the time. Continue reading →

Charlie Gephart

For Cass Explanation

            Joel Silbey, in Party Over Section; The Rough and Ready Presidential Election of 1848, writes that “the Democratic campaign [for Lewis Cass] was neither innovative nor adventurous” (115).  The campaign almost wholly avoided the polarizing subject of slavery, instead focusing on other issues.  Continue reading →