19th Century Politicians Played to their base too

BillJones

Today political commentators talk about candidates and those in office who are constantly saying and doing things that “appeal to their base.” It is nothing new. In the 19th century candidates and office holders did the same thing.

Here is a political token that has been on my want list for at least 20 years. It is quite scarce. I have seen only about 4 or 5 pieces in auctions over the last two decades or so. For me the ideal piece would one struck in white metal with a hole at the top. This piece is struck on copper, which makes it rarer, with a layer of gold plating. It was perhaps given to a high official of the Democratic Party, or it might have been made for a 19th century collector. In any case this is the only piece that I have had to chance to buy when my finances dictated that I could buy it.

The obverse features a portrait of Martin Van Buren, who was Andrew Jackson’s protégé and successor. The slogan reads, “The prudence and principles of our FORE FATHERS.” The reverse shows a farmer behind a plow and the slogan, “Who can justly appreciate liberty & equality … THE DEMOCRACY.”

The message here is one that originated with Thomas Jefferson, the man whom most historians credit as the founder of the Democratic Party. Jefferson believed that true democracy rested with the yeoman farmer who owned his land, tilled his soil and was in many ways self-sufficient. The farmer was not dependent upon the big cities, banks and “stock jobbers.” He was the true embodiment of liberty and virtue.

Andrew Jackson shared those ideals. His election base was the farm vote, which made up 79% of the population in 1820. By 1830 it was down to 70%, but still a potent force. Jackson had his urban supporters, the day laborers and wage earners, but his biggest base by far was the farmer. He was a plantation owner, and given his military record, that made him the farmer’s hero.

Van Buren was neither a farmer nor a military hero. He was a politician who had worked his way up from the son of a poor tavern owner to the highest offices in New York State and the national government. He needed to “stroke his base of support,” and that’s what his supporters were doing with this token.

Doyle DeWitt, who wrote the first major guide on 19th political tokens, stated that he was not sure what year this piece may have been issued. It may have been distributed during the 1836 presidential campaign, or it may have been released after Van Buren took the Oath of Office on March 4, 1837. The theory is that it was issued to bolster the spirits of Van Buren’s agrarian political base.

It is interesting to note that 60 years later the Democrats were still pushing the same theme. William Jennings Bryan counted the farm vote as his base. He once said that if all the farms disappeared, the cities would grow up in weeds, but if the cities disappeared, the farms would continue on, the same as always. Here was one of the symbols that he used in his campaigns.

And here was he thought should happen to "gold bugs," those who supported the Gold Standard.

Coin Finder

Cool Post Bill! I love these tokens.. I am a firm believer that civics class should be taught to all high school students in every state and required for graduation.

CWT1863

Great post! Thanks for sharing.

ricko

Very interesting.... Politics changes faces but the methods remain the same. Cheers, RickO

TPRC

Thank you, again, Bill, for these wonderful and seldom seen tokens and for the history that attends them.

Paradisefound

An interesting and good historical read for me. Thank you Bill

BillJones

Bryan’s sales pitch to the farmers was that his free silver campaign would raise prices for their crops. The trouble was he also wanted the urban labor vote, and it didn’t take some of them long to figure out that higher farm prices would raise their food prices as well. Therefore Bryan didn’t do as well them at the polls as he would have hoped.

Walkerfan

Thanks for the history lesson, Bill.

This is some rare, political Americana that I would not be able to see anywhere else.

Good post!