A History of Presidential Campaigns
May 3, 2008 to February 22, 2009

Think the 2008 presidential election is spicy? Well, so were campaigns of the past! Come learn how William Henry Harrison offered free alcohol to attract voters, how Grover Cleveland converted a potential scandal into a campaign marketing tool, and how Western New York native Belva Lockwood shook things up as the first woman to run for the presidency!

Today’s presidential hopefuls reach out to voters using television, the internet, and cell phones. But how did a candidate spread the word before access to mass media? And when did image become as important as issues?

Shaking Hands and Kissing Babies examines these questions and looks at presidential connections to Buffalo, grassroots political organizations, women’s suffrage, campaign songs, inaugurations, and how to read a political cartoon.

From Abraham Lincoln to Teddy Roosevelt to John F. Kennedy, discover how they campaigned!