| ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG MADE FOR THE 1860 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN OF NORTHERN DEMOCRAT CANDIDATES STEPHEN DOUGLAS & HERSCHEL JOHNSON, WITH 31 STARS CONFIGURED IN A RARE MEDALLION VARIANT THAT FEATURES A TEARDROP-LIKE FORMATION SET WITHIN A CIRCULAR WREATH, THE ONLY KNOWN EXAMPLE IN THIS STYLE |
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| Web ID: | 31j-868 |
| Available: | In Stock |
| Frame Size (H x L): | 15.5" x 18.5" |
| Flag Size (H x L): | 5.5" x 8.5" |
| Description: | |
| Few elections in American history were more crucial and interesting than the battle won by Abraham Lincoln. With a dividing and indecisive nation at hand, four significant candidates emerged, among which was Northern Democrat Stephen Douglas, represented here on a 31 star antique American parade flag. Block-printed on coarse cotton or a blended cotton fabric (possibly with flax content), the stars are configured in a pattern that features a large center star, surrounded by a teardrop-shaped formation. The latter is oriented horizontal, as opposed to vertical, so that its apex is directed toward the fly end. The teardrop is set within a circular wreath and actually intersects with it, so that the star in the 3:00 position, when viewed on the obverse (front), is a part of both geometric patterns. A single flanking star appears in each corner, beyond the basic design. Chances are that the teardrop device was unintentional, and that the flag-maker was simply modifying a 30 star pattern to add a 31st star. Print blocks for a flag such as this are likely to have been constructed of wood, carved in relief, so that when dipped in pigment and applied to white fabric, the stars were formed by the absence of color. To increase the star count, if desired, additional stars were carved. Logic would suggest that the pattern began life as a double wreath—a popular arrangement during the mid-late 19th century—and that a single star within the inner wreath was simply removed (filled), then two more were carved in positions bumped slightly outward from the original location. One plausible argument against the above is that 30 star parade flags, in the design that this 31 star pattern would theoretically be replacing, remain unknown. Whatever the case may be, the star configuration present on this Douglas & Johnson campaign parade flag is unique among known examples, as-is the precise combination of Roman and block text, printed in the same blue pigment within the 2nd - 5th white stripes, that reads: “For President, Stephen A. Douglas. Vice President, Herschel V. Johnson.” At a time when both America and the Democratic Party were fracturing, the voice of the influential Illinois Senator & Democratic Party leader, Stephen Douglas, was one of comparative moderation. Douglas became famous during the 1850’s, due to his role as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Territories. The importance of his role stemmed from the desire among the Slave States to maintain their balance of power in Congress. Following the addition of California in 1850, there were 16 Free States and just 15 Slave States, with geographic restrictions that prevented Slavery’s expansion. The potential that this could be allowed in at least some of the remaining territories posed a potential solution for Southern interests, and instantly became the hottest topic of the decade. Douglas, who believed that a state’s right to choose whether to forbid or allow slavery was maintained by the Constitution, became the chief designer of the Compromise of 1850. He also delivered the highly controversial Kansas-Nebraska Act, the opposition of which led to the formation of the Republican Party. Lincoln and Douglas held their famous debates on the associated topics in 1858, while running against one-another for the United States Senate. They occurred that year at 7 locations, among which were the Illinois communities of Ottawa (Aug. 21st), Freeport (Aug. 27th), Jonesboro (Sept. 15th), Charleston (Sept. 18th), Galesburg (Oct. 7th), Quincy (Oct. 13th), and Alton (Oct. 15th). Though he lost the election, the Lincoln-Douglas debates provided the platform by which Lincoln rose to national fame. Although he opposed Lincoln in the election, Douglas wasn’t a champion of slavery. He believed that the Constitution protected state laws and the Union, in such a way that states could choose on the issue of slavery, but did not maintain the right to secede. When the Democrats convened in Charleston in 1860 to nominate a presidential candidate, Douglas succeeded in adding his moderate planks to the party platform. Several Southerners stormed out of the convention in protest, breaking off to form their own faction, nominating John Breckinridge of Kentucky. When Northern Democrats met again in Baltimore, a few weeks later, they unanimously nominated Douglas, who ran in opposition. The Democrat Party orchestrated its own demise, splitting into two factions, which divided their votes. The independent, Constitutional Union Party of Tennessee’s John Bell, composed of hard line Whigs and members of the Know-Nothing Party, split the ballot even further. The fractured field resulted in a win for Lincoln. Hardly the favorite at the beginning of the campaign, having won the Republican nomination from the 3rd ticket, his name didn't even appear on ballots in several Southern States. He obtained the White House with a mere 39% percent of the vote, carrying no state below the Mason-Dixon. Brief History of Stephen Douglas & Herschel Johnson: Stephen Douglas was born in Brandon, Vermont in 1813, studied at the Canandaigua Academy in Upstate New York, and moved to Illinois at the age of 20 to find work as an itinerant teacher. He studied law and immediately gained the position of State’s Attorney for Morgan County. After this he was elected to the state legislature and then to the Illinois Supreme Court. This was followed by two terms in Congress (1842 & 1844 elections), then by three in the Senate, where he remained until his untimely death in 1861. Douglas became famous during the 1850’s, due to his key role in both the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act. In keeping with his states’ rights opinion, he supported Dred Scott, which required the return of escaped slaves to their former states, but when southerners John Breckinridge and Joseph Lane split off as Southern Democratic candidates, in full support of slavery, he fought them tooth and nail. Douglas’s running mate, Herschel Vespasian Johnson, was an attorney, former U.S. Senator, and Governor of Georgia, who opposed secession. Chosen to balance the ticket, he threw in the towel following Lincoln’s election and fell in line with the Southern cause, and was selected to serve on the Confederate Senate. When attempting to return to the U.S. Senate in 1866, post-war, he was elected by popular vote, but disallowed to assume his seat, due to his role in the rebellion. Johnson did go on to play a crucial role in Reconstruction, however, where he served as head of the Georgia constitutional convention. As with some political campaign flags, the star count of this example pre-dates the election year. This probably occurred as a matter of convenience, since the hand-carved wooden blocks used to produce them would be readily available and most buyers of campaign flags would probably not take the time to count the stars. The 31st star represents the addition of California on September 9th, 1850, on the heels of the Gold Rush. The 31 star flag became official on July 4th, 1851 and remained so until July 3rd, 1858, when a star was added for Minnesota. Because the 33rd star was officially added for Oregon in 1859, and this star count remained official until July 4th, 1861, the 33 star flag was technically official at the time of the 1860 campaign. History shows, however, that 19th century flag-makers cared little for official star counts, and instead chose the number for practical considerations. A Few Notes Pre-Civil War Flags: Flags made prior to the Civil War (1861-1865) are extremely rare, comprising less than one percent of 19th century flags that have survived into the 21st century. Prior to the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, the Stars & Stripes was simply not used for most of the same purposes that we employ it in today. Private individuals did not typically display the flag in their yards and on their porches. Parade flags didn't often fly from carriages and horses. Places of business rarely hung flags in their windows. Private use of the national flag rose swiftly during the patriotism that accompanied the Civil War, then exploded in 1876 during the centennial of American independence. Even the military did not use the flag in a manner that most people might think. The primary purpose before the Civil War was to mark ships on the open seas. While the flag was used to mark garrisons, the flags of ground troops were often limited to the flag of their own regiment, with a unique design, peculiar unto itself, and perhaps a standard that featured the unit’s numeric designation, possibly incorporated into the Arms of the United States. Most people are surprised to learn that ground forces were not authorized to carry the Stars & Stripes until well into the 19th century. It was first assigned to artillery regiments in 1834. Infantry was afforded the privilege in 1841, just prior to the Mexican War (1846-1848), while cavalry regiments were not authorized until 1862, the second year of the Civil War. The first printed parade flags appeared between 1837 and 1845. The earliest display either 26 stars, to reflect the addition Michigan as the 26th state, or 13 stars, paying homage to the original 13 colonies and the birth of our nation. Made just shortly thereafter, this particular example falls among the earliest of all known printed flags. Prior to 1861, one of the few, regular, non-military uses of the American national flag appears to have been for political campaigning. The first parade flags that are datable to a specific year—adorned with corresponding text and/or images for the purpose of advertising—appeared in 1840, produced for the successful presidential campaign of Whig Party nominee William Henry Harrison. Flags made for the Douglas campaign are extremely scarce, even within this already tiny subset of pre-Civil War examples. Presently unique among its counterparts, in all respects, it would be a tremendous addition to any collection, at any level, and particularly so when accompanying a Lincoln campaign flag and/or others produced for the 1860 and 1864 presidential elections. Election Results: Abraham Lincoln, Illinois (R) - 39.8% (PV), 180 (EV) Stephen Douglas, Illinois (Northern D) - 21.5% (PV), 12 (EV) John C. Breckinridge, Kentucky (Southern D) - 14.3% (PV), 72 (EV) John Bell, Tennessee (Constitutional Union) - 12.6% (PV), 39 (EV) Mounting: For 25 years we have maintained a specialized department for this purpose. Our lead conservator holds a master's degree in textile conservation from one of the nation’s top university programs. We take great care in the mounting and preservation of flags and related textiles and have preserved thousands of examples. The gilded American molding dates to the period between 1820 and 1850. To this a black-painted molding of the mid-19th century was added as a liner. The flag has been hand-stitched to 100% cotton twill, black in color, that was washed and treated for colorfastness. Condition: There is minor to moderate soiling scattered throughout, accompanied by a small scattering of tiny, dark flecks of staining between the 4th and 6th stripes, adjacent to the canton. There is very minor fraying along the hoist end, and extremely minor misprinting in the printed letters. The flag displays beautifully. |
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| Collector Level: | Flags for the truest Patriots. My best offerings |
| Flag Type: | Parade flag |
| Star Count: | 31 |
| Earliest Date of Origin: | 1860 |
| Latest Date of Origin: | 1860 |
| State/Affiliation: | Illinois |
| War Association: | 1777-1860 Pre-Civil War |
| Price: | Please call (717) 676-0545 or (717) 502-1281 |
| E-mail: | info@jeffbridgman.com |
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