Donald L. Ackerman, Jonathan H. Mann
A definitive study of American presidential elections 1789–1888 as revealed by political ballots and election tickets. Prior to the introduction of the secret ballot at the end of the 19th century, most Americans voted with pre-printed slips of paper deposited into boxes at the polls. These ephemeral items tell the evolving story of the American experiment at self-governance including origins of the two-party system.