LEARN NC

woman holding open voting booth curtain

Election 2008

3.4 Election history

group portrait of the members posed outside

Duke University's 1927 chapter of the League of Women Voters. (Image source. More about the photograph)

General

Elections: The American Way (Library of Congress)
From the American Memory website, this resource explores historical aspects of the political party system, voting rights and candidacy requirements, as well as issues such as slavery, corruption, and foreign policy that have dominated the elections through the years.
Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections
Includes detailed national results for presidential elections from 1789 through 2004. Individual year pages include candidates, parties, popular and electoral vote totals, maps, charts, and voter turnout (1932–2004). Also available are state results for elections 1892–2004 and county-level maps and data for elections 1960–2004. From 2000 on the pages also include results maps by Congressional District when applicable.
The Living Room Candidate (Museum of the Moving Image)
For better or for worse, television has transformed elections in the United States since 1950 — not just once but over and over again, as television itself has changed. Now, the American Museum of the Moving Image offers streaming video of dozens of television commercials from presidential campaigns from Eisenhower in 1952 to the 2008 presidential race.
Running for office (National Archives)
A collection of political cartoons by renowned cartoonist Clifford K. Berryman that illustrate the campaign process from the candidate’s decision to run for office to the ultimate outcome of the election. Although many political procedures have changed, these cartoons - most of which appeared on the front page of Washington, DC newspapers from 1898 to 1948 - show that the political process has remained remarkably consistent.
Elections Central (History Central)
This site offers a break down of American presidential elections from 1789 through 2008 with a written synopsis as well as statistical information.
Presidential Elections 1896–1996 (The New York Times)
A quick look at the issues, candidates, and outcomes of the elections of the past hundred years.
U.S. Presidential Election Maps, 1860–1996 (University of Virginia)
Maps show state-by-state results for both the popular and electoral vote for the past 140 years of presidential elections. A separate section is devoted to breaking down the results of the 2000 election.

Important Elections

The most consequential elections in history (US News and World Report)
From July 2008 until election day US News and World Report will highlight an important election from American history. Of particular interest are Jefferson’s election in 1800 and Lincoln’s election in 1860.

The Presidents

American Presidents: Life Portraits (C-SPAN)
This website offers biographical information, inaugural addresses, and links to presidential libraries and birthplaces and additional primary source documents such as letters. Streaming video from the C-SPAN series on the American Presidents is also available, including interviews with experts and footage of the Presidents themselves. Select a President from the menu at the top of the home page to get started.
POTUS (The Internet Public Library)
For each president there are election results, information about cabinet officials, biographical information, and links to video, historical documents, and other web-based resources.
The Presidency in History (University of Virginia)
From the Miller Center of Public Affairs, historical perspectives on each of the Presidents. Includes links to oral history and articles as well as an image gallery and other multimedia content.
The Presidents of the United States (The White House)
A brief biography of each of the Presidents.