Object Details
associated person
Lincoln, Abraham
Description
The idea of creating the image of Abraham Lincoln as “the rail splitter” was the inspiration of Illinois politician Richard J. Oglesby. He sought to find “one thing in Mr. Lincoln’s unsuccessful career as a worker that could be made an emblem … [to] make enthusiastic the working people.”
Like other candidates of his time, Lincoln stayed home in Springfield, Illinois, while party leaders spoke on his behalf. Political clubs decorated their headquarters with fence rails and organized massive rallies throughout the North. The imagery of “Old Abe the Rail Splitter” presented Lincoln as a down-to-earth common man and served as a powerful symbol of free labor and individual enterprise.
Gift of Ralph E. Becker, 1961
Credit Line
Ralph E. Becker Collection of Political Americana
date made
1860
ID Number
PL.227739.1860.X01
catalog number
227739.1860.X01
accession number
242604
Object Name
axe
Physical Description
wood (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 1 in x 15 1/2 in x 49 in; 2.54 cm x 39.37 cm x 124.46 cm
Related Publication
Rubenstein, Harry R.. Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life
See more items in
Political History: Political History, Campaign Collection
Government, Politics, and Reform
Selections from the Abraham Lincoln Collection
American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith
Exhibition
American Democracy
Exhibition Location
National Museum of American History
Data Source
National Museum of American History
used
Elections
general subject association
Political Campaigns
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmah_529193