Joseph Medill: How one man influenced the Republican presidential nomination of 1860

Abstract

This thesis examines the role of newspaper owner and editor Joseph Medill on the successful 1860 Republican presidential nomination of Abraham Lincoln. While many historical works have credited Medill's role in creating journalistic support for Lincoln through the Chicago Tribune, most of his other contributions to Lincoln's political success have been downplayed. As a skillful newspaper editor and founding member of the Republican Party, Medill used his political and journalistic connections to influence Lincoln's rise to fame. This thesis will examine how Medill's position as a radical anti-slavery member of the Republican Party caused his role in Lincoln's political success to be overlooked. This thesis enhances historians' understanding of the circumstances surrounding the early rise of Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party by examining the role Joseph Medill played on both.