Description
This campaign poster depicts the 1872 Republican presidential nominee Ulysses S. Grant as a tanner working alongside his running mate Henry Wilson, who is drawn as a shoemaker. The print shows a Republican campaign banner designed to appeal to the labor vote by invoking the working class origins of candidates Ulysses S. Grant and Henry Wilson. Grant wears a tanner's apron and jackboots and holds a shield decorated with stars and stripes. He is identified as "The Galena Tanner." Henry Wilson, who holds a hammer, is identified as "The Natick Shoemaker." Wilson actually began his career as a shoemaker in Natick, Massachusetts. Grant stands near the door to a tannery, and Wilson stands before a shoemaker's bench.
Transcript of Ulysses S. Grant Campaign Poster
Source-Dependent Questions
- How are Republican candidate for president Ulysses S. Grant and his running mate Henry Wilson portrayed by the author of this campaign poster? Use specific evidence from the poster to support your claim.
- At this particular time Grant is most widely known for leading the Union Army to victory over the Confederacy during the Civil War. Why would the artist depict Grant the way he did? What does this tell us about presidential campaigns?
Citation Information
"The Working-Man's Banner. For President, Ulysses S. Grant, 'The Galena Tanner.' For Vice-President, Henry Wilson, 'The Natick Shoemaker,'" Currier & Ives : New York, 1872. Courtesy of Library of Congress