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44-569: The Wide Awakes were a youth organization and later a paramilitary organization cultivated by the Republican Party during the 1860 presidential election in the United States . Using popular social events, an ethos of competitive fraternity, and even promotional comic books, the organization introduced many to political participation and proclaimed itself as the newfound voice of younger voters. The structured militant Wide Awakes appealed to

88-467: A debate. They were instead treated to a podium of Republicans, whom they heckled. The Wide Awakes defended the speakers, and a general melee resulted, involving several hundred men. After the rally, the Wide Awakes returned through Payson, where they found a hundred Democrats guarding their pole. Although Wide Awakes avoided confrontation, shots were fired at them while they left town. The Wide Awakes' flag

132-405: A field can therefore be calculated by counting zigs or zags along the side and end of the field: 160 square rods is 1-acre (0.40 ha). A buck-and-rail (also called buck-and-post) fence is a timber rail fence in a three-dimensional A-frame shape. Each section of fencing consists of two standing vertical A-frames, between which are four to seven horizontal rails or poles, the number depending on

176-450: A generation which had been profoundly shaken by the partisan instability in the 1850s, and offered young northerners a much-needed political identity. In February 1860, abolitionist Cassius Marcellus Clay spoke in Hartford, Connecticut . As five textile clerks led a torch-lit march through town after the speech, they successfully fought off an attack by Democratic Party members. Adopting

220-419: A length of 10 to 12 feet (3.0 to 3.7 m) and split down the length of the log. Each half is then split into quarters, then eighths, and so on until the rails were of a usable size. A log may produce from four rails from an 8-inch (20 cm) log to over a dozen from larger logs. The rails are stacked on top of one another. Most split rail fences have the rails stacked in an interlocking zig-zag fashion that

264-402: A military form of discipline. The regular campaign clubs, meanwhile, were given a different attraction. One of the first items of business, once the club was organized, was to invite “the ladies” to meetings. Many members were single young men, and the campaign occurred during a relatively slow social season following the picnics, steamboat excursions, and other outings of the summer, and preceding

308-601: A parade for Lincoln, who delighted in the torchlight escort back to his hotel provided for him after his speech. Over the ensuing weeks, the Lincoln campaign made plans to develop Wide Awakes throughout the country and to use them to spearhead large voter registration drives, since they knew that new and young voters tended to embrace similarly new and young parties. Members of the Wide Awakes were described by The New York Times as "young men of character and energy, earnest in their Republican convictions and enthusiastic in prosecuting

352-473: A single gunshot. They marched in a zig-zag pattern imitating a split-rail fence . They held banners with anti-slavery messages, such as The Pilgrims Did Not Found an Empire for Slavery . The rally included both black and white people. A company of 200 Black men, the West Boston Wide Awakes, held a banner reading God Never Made a Tyrant or a Slave . Little is known about the national organization of

396-431: A specific type of a more general form, called post-and-rail fences. In Canada an attempt was made to patent several cedar fence designs. These styles became known as Patent Cedar Fences , also called Patent Fences or Patent Rail Fences . The use of two rails to form a cross, having a top rail, bench rails and lower heavier rails, allowed it to be free standing, withstand heavy winds and take up less fence bottom than

440-482: A torch six feet in length to which a large flaming pivoting whale-oil container was mounted. Some carried rail-splitter axes strapped to their backs. The axes and split rails symbolized Abraham Lincoln, "the rail splitter." They marched without speaking, eyes fixed straight ahead. Their only sound was the rhythm of a marching drum and the noise of their boots striking the ground in unison. Their marches were at night, lit by torches, in outdoor public places in cities in

484-469: A warehouse. The purpose was to prepare them for defense of the federal St. Louis Arsenal , which Confederate supporters wanted to seize. Lyon employed his political connections through Blair to obtain an appointment as commanding officer over the arsenal. Once he had received his promotion, he promptly moved the St. Louis Wide Awakes into the arsenal under the cover of night. Lyon's Wide Awakes, newly mustered into

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528-451: Is a list of youth organizations . A youth organization is a type of organization with a focus upon providing activities and socialization for minors . In this list, most organizations are international unless noted otherwise. Split-rail fence They are simple in their construction, and can be assembled with few tools even on hard or rocky ground. They also can be built without using any nails or other hardware; such hardware

572-407: Is self-supporting, easy to create, easy to repair, and easy to disassemble. Some timber fences have the rails stacked directly on top of each other and secured with double fence posts (one on either side of the rails). This made a more permanent and compact fence but remained easy to repair. The distance between either the zigs or the zags is generally 16.5 feet (5 m) or one rod . The area of

616-406: Is to the “militia fever” of the 1850s. Many Americans north and south delighted in military uniforms and titles, musters and parades, and the formal balls their companies sponsored during the winter social season. Their younger brothers no doubt delighted in aping them, so far as $ 1.33 would allow, while their parents were provided with a means by which youthful rowdyism was, for a time, channeled into

660-873: The Baltimore riot of 1861 that produced the first deaths of the American Civil War . In this April 1861 incident, Copperhead anti-war Democrats mobilized the National Volunteers to attack the Massachusetts and Pennsylvania state militias as they passed through the city en route to Washington, D.C.. After Lincoln called out all the militia in April 1861, the Republican Wide Awakes, the Democratic "Douglas Invincibles," and other parade groups volunteered en masse for

704-717: The Union Army , were used on May 10, 1861, to arrest a division of the Missouri State Militia near St. Louis in what would become known as the Camp Jackson Affair . As the captured militia men were marched toward the arsenal , a riot later that day erupted in which scores of civilians were shot or killed. That event marked the effective beginning of the Civil War in Missouri . Youth organization The following

748-498: The United Kingdom (and increasingly in suburban America ) a different style of split-rail fence is used. This is not free-standing but consists of vertical posts placed in the ground, having holes ( mortises ) in each side into which the roughly pointed ends of split rails (usually of sweet chestnut ) are placed. No zig-zagging is necessary. This style is commonly used as decorative fencing, or for horse-keeping . Such fences are

792-505: The American northeast. The gatherings of the Wide Awakes were very different from all previous American political rallies, which featured boisterous daytime parades, songs, and brass bands. A Boston Wide Awake rally in October 1860 was one of the last before Lincoln was elected and the Civil War began. In this rally, Wide Awakes lit their torches all at the same moment, synchronized by the sound of

836-640: The Club at all times; in his absence the Lieutenants shall have command in the order of their rank. Every member of this club shall attend all the meetings whether regular or special; and when on duty or in attendance at the meetings, shall obey the officers in command, and shall at all times perform such duties as shall be required of him by the officers in command. Whatever their names, marching clubs of both parties often had bands and fancy uniforms. The social dimensions have been described: The young men and boys who joined

880-741: The Union army. In 1864, reports of political rallies noted the "Northwestern Wide Awakes, the Great Western Light Guard Band, and the 24th Illinois Infantry" at a Chicago meeting. On November 5, the Chicago Union Campaign Committee, the name of Lincoln's party that year, declared: "On Tuesday next the destiny of the American Republic is to be settled. We appeal to Union men. We appeal to merchants to close their stores, manufacturers to permit their clerks and laborers to go to

924-504: The Wide Awakes, if indeed any formal governing body existed at all. The clubs seem to have been organized by city into local chapters. Surviving minutes of the Waupun, Wisconsin , chapter restrict membership to males 18 and older. The member had to "furnish himself with the style of uniform adopted by this Club." The chapter had a military-style officer system consisting of a captain and the 1st to 4th lieutenants. The Captain shall have command of

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968-616: The Wide-Awakes, Invincibles, and other marching clubs were sold inexpensive uniforms and taught impressive march maneuvers. In Marion the Wide-Awake uniform consisted of an oil cloth cape and cap and a red sash, which along with a lamp or torch cost $ 1.33. Their “ worm fence march” can be imagined, as can a nice connection to Lincoln as rail splitter—a connection that does remind us of the log-cabin and hard cider symbolism of earlier days [of 1840]. The more important connection to be made, however,

1012-450: The air toward the Capitol. Crowds line the Capitol steps, flanking a lone figure, probably Abraham Lincoln , who ascends toward the building's entrance. The certificate is framed by an American flag draped over a rail fence, with olive branches at the top. In the upper corners are oval medallions of Lincoln (left) and his running mate, Hannibal Hamlin (right). Rail-splitter's mallets appear in

1056-549: The balls sponsored by militia companies, fire companies, and fraternal lodges during the winter. Campaign clubs helped to extend and connect the social seasons for single young men and women, and gave both an occasion for high-spirited travel. “Coming home there was fun,” wrote the Democratic editor of a Dubuque Republican club excursion to a rally in Galena . “There were frequent ‘three cheers for Miss Nancy Rogers.’ ... Captain Pat Conger

1100-509: The canvass on which we have entered." In Chicago , on October 3, 1860, 10,000 Wide Awakes marched in a three-mile procession. The story on that rally occupied eight columns of the Chicago Tribune . In Indiana , one historian reported: 1860 was the most colorful in the memory of the Hoosier electorate. “Speeches, day and night, torch-light processions, and all kinds of noise and confusion are

1144-405: The corners. A vigilant eye peers from a halo of clouds at the center. On either side stand uniformed members of the society, wearing their characteristic short capes and visored caps. One holds a staff and a lantern (left), and the other holds a burning torch. Below, an eagle on a shield holds a streamer “E Pluribus Unum,” arrows, and olive branch. Broken shackles lie before him. In the left distance,

1188-590: The fields... and to confound and overthrow, by one decisive blow, the betrayers of the constitution and freedom forever." To the South, the Wide Awakes and the North would be content only when the South was fully dominated. The South recognized the need for their own Wide Awakes and thus started a movement to create "a counteracting organization in the South," dubbed the " Minutemen ," after the American Revolution militia of

1232-415: The go, with all parties,” commented the “independent” Indianapolis Locomotive. Congressman Julian too was impressed by the “contrivance and spectacular display” which prevailed in the current canvass. Each party took unusual pains to mobilize its followers in disciplined political clubs, but the most remarkable of these were the Lincoln “Rail Maulers” and “Wide Awakes,” whose organizations extended throughout

1276-429: The height of fencing wanted. In modern fences, the length of the rails is about 10 feet (3.0 m). Except at the end of the fence, each A-frame is used by two horizontal sections, one to the right, and one to the left. For the enclosure of livestock such as cows and sheep, a four-foot (1.2 m) high fence using four rails is sufficient. Taller fences of 6–7 feet (1.8–2.1 m) are required for big game such as deer and elk, as

1320-413: The invitation was later withdrawn, that fact was not widely disseminated, which resulted in confusion as to whether it was to be a Republican rally or a debate between Republican and Democratic supporters. During the 1860 campaign, it was a common practice for settlements to raise poles, as much as 150 feet (46 meters) high. The political parties hung flags and effigies of the candidates they opposed from

1364-423: The middle of the 1860 campaign, Republicans bragged that they had Wide Awake chapters in every county of every northern ( free ) state. On the day of Lincoln's election as president, Wide Awakes had grown to 500,000 members. The group remained active for several decades. The Wide Awakes were a marching club. Their uniform was a full robe or cape and a military style hat, both made of black, shiny fabric. They carried

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1408-577: The poles. On the way to the rally, the Quincy Wide Awakes passed through Payson , the residents of which had erected a pole with an offensive effigy of Lincoln astride a rail. The Wide Awakes, however, carried a banner with an equally offensive depiction of a drunken Douglas falling over a pile of rails. An early confrontation was avoided, with the Wide Awakes proceeding to Stone's Creek. The August 25, 1860 rally involved around 7000 participants. Democrats appeared expecting to hear their candidates in

1452-623: The polls, the Board of Trade to close, the Union Leagues and Wide Awakes to come out. The rebellion must be put down." In early 1861, the Wide Awakes chapter in St. Louis became involved in paramilitary operations at the outbreak of the American Civil War . Aided by Francis Preston Blair Jr. and Army Captain Nathaniel Lyon , the St. Louis Wide Awakes smuggled armaments into the city and trained secretly in

1496-493: The present perilous position of Southern States." The fear of the Wide Awakes resulted in Minutemen companies forming all over the South. Like their enemy, they too held torch rallies and wore their own uniforms, complete with an official badge of "a blue rosette... to be worn upon the side of the hat." In Washington, D.C. , and Baltimore, Maryland , opponents of the Wide Awakes formed the National Volunteers, which were involved in

1540-431: The same name . It would no longer entertain the "abhorrence of the rapine, murder, insurrection, pollution and incendiarism which have been plotted by the deluded and vicious of the North, against the chastity, law and prosperity of innocent and unoffending citizens of the South." The Minutemen were expected "to form an armed body of men... whose duty is to arm, equip and drill, and be ready for any emergency that may arise in

1584-489: The slaves, stealing their land, and pushing aside their way of life. Their outfits and equipment only further incited that fear with beliefs that "they parade at midnight, carry rails to break open our doors, torches to fire our dwellings, and beneath their long black capes, the knife to cut our throats." On October 25, 1858, Senator Seward of New York stated to an excited crowd that "a revolution has begun" and alluded to Wide Awakes as "forces with which to recover back again all

1628-490: The state. Clad in gaudy uniforms the members of these quasi-military bands participated in all Republican demonstrations. The “Wide Awakes” in particular were well drilled and served as political police in escorting party speakers and in preserving order at public meetings. Party emulation made every political rally the occasion for carefully arranged parades through banner-bedecked streets, torchlight processions, elaborate floats and transparencies, blaring bands, and fireworks. By

1672-478: The sun rises over a mountainous landscape and a locomotive chugs across the plains. On the right is a more industrial scene: an Eastern city with its harbor full of boats. In the foreground a man hammers a wedge into a wooden rail. In August 1860, a political rally was scheduled to be held at Stone's Prairie in Adams County, Illinois , near the modern village of Plainville . This area, in the far west of Illinois ,

1716-650: The three-dimensional structure of the fence discourages jumping over it; a 9–10 foot (2.7–3.0 m) wire fence would be needed for the same purpose. Buck-and-rail fencing was ubiquitous in battlefields in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War , because of the proximity of forested land and their ease of construction. These split rail fences were a major source of firewood for both the Union and Confederate armies. Buck-and-rail fences can keep larger animals in or out, while smaller wildlife can pass through them easily, and they can be readily climbed over by people. In

1760-403: The uniform of black capes that such torchbearers wore to protect themselves from dripping oil onto their clothing, local Republicans were spurred by the incident to form the Wide Awakes. In early March 1860, Abraham Lincoln spoke in Hartford, Connecticut , against the spread of slavery and for the right of workers to strike . Five store clerks that belonged to the Wide Awakes decided to join

1804-542: Was familiar to two of the presidential candidates. Although the Republican candidate, Abraham Lincoln , was known in the area, his Democratic opponent, Stephen Douglas , had practiced law nearby. In addition to local animosity, Adams County was close to the border with Missouri , a slave state. The rally was organized by the Republicans. When it was initially announced, there was an invitation to Democratic speakers. Although

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1848-492: Was often scarce in frontier areas. They are popular in very rocky areas where post hole digging is difficult. They can be partially or wholly disassembled if the fence needs to be moved or the wood becomes more useful for other purposes. Split rail fences were made of easy to split, rot-resistant wood. Traditionally American chestnut was the timber of choice until chestnut blight eliminated this tree. Currently, most split rails are made from cedar. Logs are typically cut to

1892-481: Was pierced by shots, and several were reported to have been injured. In 1860, Texas Senator Louis Wigfall alleged that Wide Awakes were behind a wave of arson and vandalism , opposing "one–half million of men uniformed and drilled, and the purpose of their organization to sweep the country in which I live with fire and sword." The Wide Awakes represented the region's minority of slave and land owners’ greatest fear: an oppressive force bent on marching down, liberating

1936-537: Was the best looking man on the ground and we can only say that it is a pity he is not a Democrat.” Typical Wide Awakes chapters also adopted an unofficial mission statement. The following example comes from the Chicago chapter: This particular membership certificate of the Wide Awakes has a central vignette showing crowds and troops before the US Capitol. Some of the troops march in long parade lines, others fire cannons into

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