This Day in Republican History 09/26/05

September 26, 1860 The Wide-Awakes, Republican campaign group, serenades abolitionists and suffragists Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton to thank them for their support The electoral politics of antebellum America gave rise to many forms of mass participation. While elections saw voter turnout of 80% and higher, many individuals organized other aspects of their lives around politics as well. Most voters maintained close ties and strict loyalty to their party, links that were often passed down through families and cultivated in specific ethnic and religious communities. In this period, political parties often served as social clubs and centers of recreational activity as well as electoral organizations. In this context there arose organizations like the Republican "Wide Awakes." These groups, usually made up of young, unmarried men, marched in support of their candidate in solemn, torchlit spectacles. Other times they gathered to sing political songs and rally the party faithful to the polls. Many groups were originally formed for the purpose of poll watching, to defend against Democrats' attempts at voting irregularities.