In 1864, America Voted in the Middle of A Civil War

In 1864, the United States was literally in the middle of the Civil War. The country was divided. Hundreds of thousands had already died. The future of the nation was uncertain.And Abraham Lincoln still insisted that the presidential election happen.He believed that if the United States canceled elections because of war, democracy itself would be lost. Lincoln said that if the rebellion could force us to skip an election, it would prove that a government of the people could not survive a crisis.So the election went forward. In the middle of a war.Soldiers voted from the battlefield. The country debated the future. And Lincoln ran for reelection and won. By the way, Lincoln ran under the National Union banner against his former top Civil War general, the Democratic candidate, George B. McClellan who ran as the "peace candidate" In other words, if McClellan would have won the Election of 1864, he would have ended the Civil War. However, that’s what democracy looks like. We hold elections, even during perilous times. So when anyone suggests postponing elections because of a war they themselves helped start, history has a pretty clear answer.If the United States could hold an election during the Civil War, we can certainly hold midterms today. Get full access to Yo, Miss! at saribethrosenberg.substack.com/subscribe