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Primary sourceNewspaper article11 August 1832

Sangamo Journal Election Results, August 1832

Sangamo Journal · 11 August 1832

A newspaper page reporting the 1832 Illinois House election results, which lists Lincoln's vote total in a race he lost.

Records Lincoln's first, unsuccessful run for the Illinois legislature in 1832, early in his political life.

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Scanned newspaper column headed 'THE ELECTION' listing Sangamon County vote totals by office: Congress, Senator, Representatives, Sheriff, Commissioners, and Coroner. A. Lincoln appears at 657 in the Representatives list, and the text names the winning candidates.
Sangamo Journal, election results page, 11 August 1832.

About this source

What it is

This is a page from the Sangamo Journal newspaper, dated August 11, 1832, reporting election results for Sangamon County, Illinois. It lists vote totals for several offices, including the state Representatives race, where 'A. Lincoln' is recorded with 657 votes.

Why it matters

This is one of the earliest public records of Abraham Lincoln's political career, from his first run for office, which he lost. It shows that Lincoln's path to the presidency began with a defeat, not an immediate success.

Look closer

  • What does this early loss suggest about how political careers often begin?
  • Why is a contemporary newspaper report more reliable for this event than a later retelling?
  • What other offices and candidates are listed, and what does that tell you about local politics in 1832?

This newspaper article is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Abraham Lincoln on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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