On February 10th, 1796, Vice President John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail, lamenting the state of discourse in the country. The election was nearing—and becoming heated. Newspapers screamed, factions warred, and John Adams was dismayed with what he called “the wicked Game.” Americans in 2023 can relate. They still have to endure months of shouting, outrage, and the worst sort of political rancor as the country once again chooses its president. But it’s almost always been this way. And to prove it, American Elections: Wicked Game will review the entire history of presidential elections, from the unanimous and inevitable election of George Washington in 1789 to Donald Trump’s surprise electoral victory in 2016—and his contested defeat in 2020. From the host of the American History Tellers and American Scandal, this podcast will explore all 59 presidential elections to discover that there never never was a “good ol’ days,” and that presidential politics has always been played dirty.
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episode 21: 1868, Seymour vs. Grant: The Rise of the General
The death of Abraham Lincoln sets the stage for one of the greatest political showdowns in American history. On one side stands President Andrew Johnson, a notorious drunk and bigot who was sympathetic to the South. On the other side, Edwin M Stanton and the Radical Republicans in Congress, who want to secure Abraham Lincoln’s legacy and protect the 4 million Freed Slaves in the South. The Reconstruction era brings with it a series of firsts: the end of the Civil War, the first president assassinated, and the first impeachment of a president in US History. In the midst of the turmoil, a beloved war hero rises to the occasion and seeks to fill the void left by President Lincoln’s murder: General Ulysses S Grant.
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