Campaign Pull Card, 1837

1837

In an era of colorful nicknames and slogans, “Locofoco” emerged as a term of derision for Democratic voters, particularly those with more populist-leanings. They were often most prominent in New York state, where radical Democrats often worked in what they considered the interests of ordinary New Yorkers, at a time when New York was by far the biggest and most powerful state in the nation. This card mocks such Locofoco’s defeat by the Republicans in New York in 1856, pulling down the tab at the bottom sours the “Loco’s” expression.