Rise of the Rail Splitter

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The life, speeches, and public services of Abram Lincoln, together with a sketch of the life of Hannibal Hamlin. The Wigwam Edition. New York: Rudd and Carleton, 1860.

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The life and public services of Hon. Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois, and Hon. Hannibal Hamlin, of Maine. Boston: Thayer and Eldridge, 1860.


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Joseph H. Barrett. Life of Abraham Lincoln (of Illinois) with a condensed view of his most important speeches; also a sketch of the life of Hannibal Hamlin (of Maine). Cincinnati: Moore, Wilstach, Keys and Co., 1860.

Each presidential campaign since 1824 has inspired candidate biographies.  Shown here are three biographies of Lincoln issued during the 1860 campaign to promote his candidacy.  More than 200,000 copies of Lincoln biographies were distributed during the campaign, most of which were issued in paper wrappers. The Wigwam Edition (named after the temporary wooden structure built in Chicago for the Republican Convention of 1860) of The life, speeches, and public services of Abram Lincoln, the first of the Lincoln biographies to appear during the election year, sold 12,000 copies within a week of its publication. Note that Lincoln’s first name is misspelled “Abram,” possibly indicating that some New York publishers (despite his successful Cooper Union address) were not yet familiar with the western candidate.

(1) Lin 2257.76   (2) Lin 2257.75.2   (3) Lin 2056.14   The William Whiting Nolen Collection of Lincolniana.