31 STAR PARADE FLAG, MADE FOR THE 1860 CAMPAIGN OF JOHN BELL.

31 STAR PARADE FLAG, MADE FOR THE 1860 CAMPAIGN OF JOHN BELL & EDWARD EVERETT, WITH A “UNION AND THE CONSTITUTION” SLOGAN, PROBABLY MADE BY H.C. HOWARD OF PHILADELPHIA .

31 star American parade flag, block printed on cotton, made for the 1860 campaign of Constitutional Union Party candidates John Bell & Edward Everett. . The stars are arranged in an interesting medallion pattern that, instead of being circular or star shaped, forms a pentagon. The 1850-1865 era marked a pivotal time in American party politics. It bore witness to the birth of the Republican Party in 1854, and the end of both the Whigs and the American Party (Know-Nothings), which had basically disappeared by 1860. Lincoln was the Republican candidate, running on the anti-slavery platform. He was hardly the favorite in the beginning of the campaign, winning the party’s nomination from the 3rd ticket.
THE UNION AND THE CONSTITUTION
A Rare 1860 Presidential Campaign Flag

This extraordinary American political textile was produced for the pivotal presidential election of 1860, supporting the Constitutional Union Party ticket of John Bell for President and Edward Everett for Vice President. Issued during the final months before the outbreak of the American Civil War, the flag embodies one of the last national efforts to preserve the Union through compromise, constitutional order, and political moderation.
The Constitutional Union Party emerged at a moment of profound national crisis, as sectional tensions between North and South threatened the future of the United States. Rejecting extremism on both sides, the party adopted the powerful slogan displayed prominently upon this flag: “The Union and the Constitution.” Within months of the election, the nation descended into civil war, transforming objects such as this into enduring witnesses to one of the most consequential periods in American history.

Political campaign parade flags from the 1860 election are among the most sought-after forms of American political Americana. While campaign textiles supporting Abraham Lincoln appear more frequently, surviving Bell-Everett examples are considerably scarcer, reflecting the brief existence of the Constitutional Union Party and the limited production of its campaign materials. The flag’s bold typography, striking star arrangement, and vibrant patriotic imagery create an object of remarkable visual and historical power. Both a compelling work of graphic folk art and a rare historical artifact, this textile stands today as a poignant reminder of a divided nation struggling to preserve its unity on the eve of the Civil War.