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How a Racist Newspaper Defeated Lincoln in New York in the 1864 Election

Dirty Tricks

Racism in New York was rampant during the 1864 presidential campaign, and the anti-emancipation newspaper New York World used every dirty trick in the book to slander Abraham Lincoln and derail his reelection bid, including spreading rumors of a mixed-race orgy sanctioned by the Republican Party. In his new book, The Civil War in 50 Objects, historian Harold Holzer tells the story of how Lincoln almost fell for it.

articles/2013/05/02/how-a-racist-newspaper-defeated-lincoln-in-new-york-in-the-1864-election/130502-civil-war-objects-holzer-tease_rh8vdo
Courtesy of Viking

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