Randolph Roth - Email interview transcript
Professor of American History, Director of Undergraduate Studies at The Ohio State University
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-Why was the Election of 1860 a turning point in American history?
The election of 1860 is important because it laid down the pattern for so many elections to come—and so many divisions in our society. Take a look, for instance, at the electoral map from 2000, Governor Bush vs. Vice President Gore. Take away the states that were not in the Union in 1860 and what do you see? The Confederacy went for Bush, as did the two northern states with the most Copperheads (Southern sympathizers) during the Civil War: Indiana and Ohio. The Union went for Gore. Things change, and then again, things don’t! The labels are different: the Republicans were “progressives” in 1860 and the Democrats “conservatives.” The party identities reversed in the late 20th century, but the progressive / conservative division remains. |