One of the great constants of U.S. history is politics. As long as there has been a United States, there have been presidential elections and many families have a tradition of participating in them. Mary from Lexington sent in this medal her grandfather acquired at the Democratic National Convention in 1924 where he represented the 3rd district of Kentucky. This medal reminds her family of their civic duty and helps them honor her grandfather’s legacy every election season.
Henry Clay was one of the people around whom the modern political party system developed. He was the first major party presidential candidate nominated at a convention in 1832. He was also among the first candidates for which large quantities of campaign memorabilia were produced. This ribbon was made to support Henry Clay’s candidacy at the Whig National Convention in Baltimore on May 2, 1844. His nomination was transmitted from Baltimore to Washington, D.C. as a test of Samuel Morse’s new telegraph. It was the first message ever transmitted electrically from one city to another.
To view the ribbon in our online catalog, click here!
