Präsidentenwahlen in der Union

What it is

This is an article titled "Präsidentenwahlen in der Union" ("Presidential Elections in the Union"), written by Rudolf Doehn and published in 1880 in the German magazine Die Gartenlaube. It explains the presidential race of that year to German readers.

Why it matters

The article opens by describing how slavery and the Civil War had shaped American politics, giving German readers background for understanding the election that would make Garfield president. It shows how closely European audiences followed American political events and how a foreign writer explained U.S. history and politics to them.

Look closer

• Why might a German magazine think its readers needed background on slavery and the Civil War before discussing an election?
• What does this article tell us about how non-Americans understood U.S. politics at the time?
• What might be left out or simplified when explaining another country's politics to a foreign audience?