Type: Exhibition case

Name: Wartime Politics

Detail: By 1863, the continuing carnage on the battlefield and the dominance of the Democratic Party led to a unique political situation in the state. In March, the state legislature passed a set of resolutions protesting the continuation of the war and calling for a negotiated peace. The Democrats were angry at what they saw as attacks on constitutional and states’ rights, including the Lincoln administration’s decision to suspend habeas corpus in early 1863 and proposals to create a federally-run railroad through the state to expedite the passage of troops and supplies. The resolutions were condemned by the opposition Unionists and divided the Democratic Party. The Peace Democrats, known derogatively as “copperheads,” were unsuccessful, however, in attracting support for the proposals from other states. Private support for the war was growing as well, as evidenced by the popularity of the Union League movement, which took hold in New Jersey in spring 1863. In the 1864 presidential election, New Jersey joined Delaware and Kentucky as the only states to cast their electoral votes for favorite son General George McClellan, who won the state popular vote by a narrow margin.