Presidential Election of 1884: A Resource Guide

Our country's choice--Democratic nominees. 1 print: lithograph, color. Prints & Photographs Division. Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-pga-03158

The digital collections of the Library of Congress contain a wide variety of material associated with the presidential election of 1884, including broadsides, prints, political cartoons, sheet music, newspaper articles, and government documents. This guide compiles links to digital materials related to the presidential election of 1884 that are available throughout the Library of Congress Web site. In addition, it provides links to external Web sites focusing on the 1884 election and a selected bibliography.

1884 Presidential Election Results [1]

Library of Congress Web Site | External Web Sites | Selected Bibliography

Digital Collections

The Library of Congress Celebrates the Songs of America

The Songs of America presentation allows you to explore American history as documented in the work of some of our country's greatest composers, poets, scholars, and performers.

A selection of sheet music from the 1884 presidential election includes:

• Ben Butler leads the way
• Ben Butler is Our Candidate
• Butler's triumphal march
• Bring the starry banner boys; Blaine and Logan rallying song
• Early in the morning; or, We'll vote for Jimmy Blaine
• Here's a health to Grover Cleveland
• Hurrah for Blaine and Logan!
• Hurrah for Cleveland!
• James G. Blaine's presidential campaign march
• President Cleveland's grand march
• President Cleveland's national grand march
• Prohibition and St. John
• Rally for Cleveland and Hendricks
• We'll vote for Blaine the man from Maine

Printed Ephemera: Three Centuries of Broadsides and Other Printed Ephemera

The Printed Ephemera collection comprises 28,000 primary-source items dating from the seventeenth century to the present and encompasses key events and eras in American history. While the broadside format represents the bulk of the collection, there are a significant number of leaflets and some pamphlets.

James G. Blaine (Republican candidate)

• Campaign of 1884. Tract No. 2. Burdette's advice to young voters ...
• Campaign of 1884. Tract No. 3. ...Why did the Democrats nominate Governor Cleveland...
• Campaign of 1884. Tract No. 8. If General Jackson was alive he would be a Republican.
• Campaign of 1884. Tract No. 9. Just a minute. Soldiers, attention!
• Campaign of 1884. Tract No. 10. Suggestive. Read and reflect. Alabama is a Democratic state...
• Campaign of 1884. Tract No. 11. This is called a tract because it conveys positive truth...
• Campaign of 1884. Tract No. 18. Workingmen this is for you. Wages in coal mines...
• Campaign of 1884. Tract No. 19 Workingmen this is for you. Blaine & Logan and protection...
• Campaign of 1884. Tract No. 20. Reasons why we should vote for Blaine and Logan!
• Don't be deceived by a name. What is the present Democratic party, in the campaign of 1884. Testimony of a distinguished Democrat as to the condition of his party ... Vote for Blain & Logan.
• Here is the document. Workingmen, this goes to the question of your daily bread. Facts do not lie. Campaign of 1884. Vote for Blaine & Logan ... Read what the Republican platform of 1884 says.
• New York for Blaine. Voice of the Empire state calling James G. Blaine to lead to victory!
• Please read this carefully. A few facts in regard to Gov. Cleveland ...
• Presidential campaign, 1884. Tract No. 5. Reasons why workingmen should vote for Blaine & Logan.
• Republican campaign song, 1884. Three cheers for Blaine and Logan! By William A. McNeal.
• Vote for Blaine & Logan...

Grover Cleveland (Democratic candidate)

• Campaign of 1884. Labor record of Grover Cleveland. A startling instance of his love for and care of laboring men!
• Can honest Americans vote for Jas. G. Blaine? [From a speech at Cincinnati, Sept. 25, 1884, by Hon. Carl Schurz. New York, 1884].
• The charges swept away. A political scandal speedily settled. Report of a committee of Independent Republicans dwelling in Buffalo, concerning accusations against Governor Cleveland.
• Common-sense committee. Broken promises renewed! Workingmen think for yourselves!... Vote for Cleveland ...
• The Democratic candidates--- 1884. Stephen Grover Cleveland of New York. Thomas A. Hendricks of Indiana ...
• Facts for workingmen ... Vote for Grover Cleveland for the presidency ...
• "I cannot vote for a Democrat." This is a remark which we constantly hear from men who admit that Mr. Blaine is dishonest, and who will not vote for him ...
• A record of the statesmanship and political achievements of S. Grover Cleveland Democratic nominee for President of the United States, compiled from the records by a citizen 1884.
• Republican promise and performance... Workingmen: turn the Republicans out. Vote for Cleveland...
• The size of it! Blood will tell!! This settles the presidency! A six and one-quarter hat and number twelve boots! The capacity of one and the incapacity of the other. From the New York extra. The candidates phrenologically considered ...
• Soap! Soap! Blaine's only hope! Blaine's funeral died November 4th, 1884 ...
• To Republicans and independent voters. Chicago, Sept. 20, 1884.
• To the voters of Massachusetts... For those reasons, we urge all our fellow-citizens to united with us in our efforts to secure the election of Governor Cleveland.
• A western republican on Mr. Blaine's nomination. Letter of Hon. Thad C. Pound.
• Workingmen, don't be fooled! Independent Republicans are voting against their candidates because they believe Mr. Blaine the tool of monopolists ... Vote for Cleveland.

John St. John (Prohibition candidate)

• For prohibitionists, An open letter to ex-governor St. John by Rev. William M. Thayer. Franklin, Mass. July 22, 1884.
• To all interested in temperance. St. John refuses to retire. His reply to the "New York state temperance assembly"- Why the prohibition party is a necessity. Philadelphia, Pa. Oct. 11 [1884].

Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers

Chronicling America

This site allows you to search and view millions of historic American newspaper pages from 1789-1924. Search this collection to find newspaper articles about the presidential election of 1884.

A selection of articles on the 1884 presidential election includes:

• "The Greenback Ticket," Daily Evening Bulletin. (Maysville, Kentucky) May 31, 1884.
• "Jim and Jack. The "Plumed Knight" of Maine and the "Black Eagle" of Illinois," Omaha Daily Bee. (Omaha, Nebraska) June 7, 1884.
• "Cleveland Conquers," The Sedalia Weekly Bazoo. (Sedalia, Missouri) July 15, 1884.
• "Not a Soldier On It. Cleveland and Hendricks the Democratic Ticket at Chicago," The National Tribune. (Washington City, D.C.) July 17, 1884.
• "Gov. St. John Nominated. The Prohibition Party's Candidate for Presidency," The Sun. (New York, New York) July 25, 1884.
• "A Case of Very Close. The Democrats Still Have a Slight Lead in New York State," The National Tribune. (Washington City, D.C.) November 7, 1884.
• "The Results. No More Doubt. Cleveland and Hendricks Elected!" The Louisiana Democrat. (Alexandria, Louisiana) November 8, 1884.
• "It's All Over. Nobody Doubts the Election of Cleveland," The Salt Lake Herald. (Salt Lake City, Utah) November 16, 1884.

Prints & Photographs Division

Pictorial Americana: Selected Images from the Collections of the Library of Congress

Pictorial Americana, a Library of Congress publication, contains a chapter listing selected images related to the 1884 presidential election.

Prints & Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC)

Search PPOC using the following subject headings to find additional prints, political cartoons, and other digital images related to the presidential election of 1884.

• Blaine, James Gillespie,--1830-1893
• Cleveland, Grover,--1837-1908
• Political conventions--1880-1890
• Political platforms--1880-1890
• Presidential elections--1880-1890
• Presidential elections--United States--1880-1890

Today in History

November 4, 1884

On November 4, 1884, Democrat Grover Cleveland defeated Republican James G. Blaine ending a particularly acrimonious campaign. The outcome of the presidential race was determined by the electoral vote of New York, which Cleveland won with a plurality of just 1,047 votes.

External Web Sites

The American Presidency Project: Election of 1884

The American Presidency Project Web site presents election results from the 1884 presidential election. This site also contains the Democratic Party Platform and the Republican Party Platform of 1884.

HarpWeek: The Presidential Elections 1860-1912

This HarpWeek Web site features political cartoons from Harper's Weekly, Leslie's Illustrated Weekly, Vanity Fair, Puck, Judge, and American Political Prints, 1766-1876: A Catalog of the Collections in the Library of Congress. It provides explanations of the historical context and images of each cartoon, campaign overviews, biographical sketches, a review of the era's major issues, and other valuable information related to the 1884 presidential election.

Selected Bibliography

Primary Sources

Blaineism. A Short Catechism for Honest Voters. New York: H. A. Rost, 1884. [Catalog Record] [Full Text]

An Exchange of Views on Cleveland and Blaine. New York: H. A. Rost, 1884. [Catalog Record] [Full Text]

How Shall I Vote? Candidates and Parties Face to Face; A Startling Contrast of Lives and Records, by a Citizen ... New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1884. [Catalog Record] [Full Text]

The Political Reformation of 1884. A Democratic Campaign Book. By Authority of the National Democratic Committee. New York, 1884. [Catalog Record] [Full Text]

Portraits of Republican and Democratic Candidates with the Nominating Speeches, and Sketches of the Lives of the Candidates. Chicago: Vandercook & Co., 1884. [Catalog Record] [Full Text]

Proceedings of the Eighth Republican National Convention Held at Chicago, Illinois, June 3, 4, 5, and 6, 1884. Chicago: Printed by Order of the Republican National Committee, 1884. [Catalog Record] [Full Text]

Blaine, James Gillespie. The Words of James G. Blaine on the Issues of the Day. Boston: D. L. Guernsey, 1884. [Catalog Record] [Full Text]

Boyd, Thomas B. The Blaine and Logan Campaign of 1884. Chicago: J. L. Regen & Co., 1884. [Catalog Record] [Full Text]

Cooper, Thomas V. Campaign of ’84. Biographies of James G. Blaine, the Republican Candidate for President, and John A. Logan, the Republican Candidate for Vice-President... New York: Baird & Dillon, 1884. [Catalog Record] [Full Text]

Williams, C. R. Lives of Blaine and Logan. Philadelphia: E. T. Haines & Co., 1884. [Catalog Record] [Full Text]

Secondary Sources

Summers, Mark W. Rum, Romanism & Rebellion: The Making of a President, 1884. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2000. [Catalog Record]

Notes

1. Presidential Elections, 1789-2008. (Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2010), 140, 230.