1884 United States presidential election

Rare card · No. 43480

Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 4, 1884. Democratic Governor Grover Cleveland of New York narrowly defeated Republican James G. Blaine of Maine, ending a streak of four consecutive Republican victories. Cleveland won the presidential nomination on the second ballot of the 1884 Democratic National Convention. President Chester A. Arthur had acceded to the presidency in 1881 following the assassination of James A. Garfield, but he was unsuccessful in his bid for nomination to a full term. Blaine, who had served as Secretary of State under President Garfield, defeated Arthur and other candidates on the fourth ballot of the 1884 Republican National Convention. A group of reformist Republicans known as "Mugwumps" abandoned Blaine's candidacy, viewing him as corrupt. The campaign was characterized by mudslinging and personal allegations that eclipsed substantive issues, such as civil administration change, and it was marred by exceptional political acrimony and...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress, Public domain