1848

16A-1066530

The Mexican War during Polk's administration and the increasing sectionalism became the issues of the campaign of 1848. The platform of the Democratic candidate, Lewis Cass, praised the Mexican War and opposed the Wilmot Proviso, which would have forbidden slavery in any new territory received from Mexico.

Cass is pictured as a "War President" and as an imperialist (16A-1066530). He was also called a "doughface," a nickname for Northerners with Southern views on slavery (16B-1066531). 

16B-1066531

Here we see "The Slighted Spinsters" passed over by Cass's nomination (16C-1066532). The Whigs nominated Zachary Taylor instead of Henry Clay, who had lost the nomination for a second time. Here in a parody of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, we see the "political assassination" of Clay (16D-1066533). This conflict between Taylor and Clay split the Whig party (16E-1066534).

16C-1066532

As in Jackson's campaign of 1828, cartoonists focused on the war records of the candidates. Here they caricatured Taylor's career in the Mexican War as that of a ruthless leader (16F-1066535).

Since neither party made slavery an issue, the Free Soil Party was formed by abolitionist factions, nominating Martin Van Buren, who was reluctant to champion this issue (16G-1066536). He was also pictured by cartoonists as trying, unsuccessfully, to bridge the gap between Whig and Democratic platforms on the issue of slavery (16H-1066537).

16D-1066533

Many cartoons predicted Van Buren's victory (16I-1066538, 16J-1066539, 16K-1066540). But this cartoon predicted correctly (16L-1066541). Taylor caught the biggest fish: the presidency.