Contentious U.S. General Elections
Overview
Included in this display is a brief synopsis of several United States general elections that were replete with contention, complexities, and controversy. While there are elections that many can recall for having issues either during campaigning or voting like the aforementioned, there are also some lesser known elections that we as a people would be remiss not to learn from and use as guidance for the upcoming 2020 presidential election.
Additionally included are some important dates and resources for voters in Cook County.
"The Same Mistakes"
“I've heard rumors; the world is starving, but we're well fed. Is it true, the world works hard and we play? Is that why we're hated so much? I've heard the rumors about hate too, once in a long while, over the years. Do you know why? I don't, that's sure! Maybe the books can get us half out of the cave. They just might stop us from making the same damn insane mistakes!”
―Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
References
Christopher Klein, Here’s How Third-Party Candidates Have Changed Elections, History (November 11, 2019), https://www.history.com/news/third-party-candidateselection-influence-facts
Michael Levy, US Presidential Election of 1860, Britannica (2011), https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1860
Elliot McLaughlin, 10 of the most bizarre elections in American history, CNN: CNNPolitics (February 14, 2020), https://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/30/politics/interesting-u-s-elections/index.html
Sarah Pruitt, 8 Most Contentious US Presidential Elections, History (August 21, 2020), https://www.history.com/news/most-contentious-u-s-presidential-elections
The Electoral Vote Count of the 1876 Presidential Election, US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives (2020), https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1851-1900/The-electoral-vote-count-of-the-1876-presidential-election/
Writing & Research
Alyssa Boster & Lexia Moore
Graphic Design
Maddie Norrgard
Project Advisor
Dan Ursini