Political Buttons History

One question we’re often asked is: Did George Washington have campaign buttons?

Campaign buttons weren’t invented yet plus since general elections didn’t exist yet, there was no real campaign to make buttons for!  However, George Washington did wear “pre-buttons” in 1789 for his inauguration. Special clothing fastener buttons were made for the coat he wore to his inauguration. Metalsmiths then started making similar buttons as souvenirs.

 While wearable political items were made in the years between 1789 and 1896, campaign buttons really hit their stride when a Newark, New Jersey company called Whitehead & Hoag patented the pinback button in 1896. The first pinback campaign buttons were actually from that same year.

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Presidential campaign buttons were made for the 1896 election between Republican, William McKinley and Democrat, William Jennings Bryan. Pinback buttons are now a staple of any campaign.

 Button collecting is fun and educational. You can buy vintage buttons, even from 1896 for just a few dollars. We are often asked, “What is the value of campaign buttons?” The answer is that it really depends. Some are so common that you can purchase one for a dollar, while some can be quite valuable, in the hundreds of dollars. A great place to find the value for buttons is at the Hake’s Auction website or eBay’s completed auctions.

 And the next question is usually “What’s the most valuable campaign button?” In 2022, a Cox/Roosevelt button sold at auction for $185,850!

Here are a few of the great political button designs since 1896, courtesy of the Busy Beaver Button Museum:

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Considered a "pre-button" this 1864 Abraham Lincoln pin is made of brass and has a ferrotype. Check out the locking pin, it's similar to the pins we use today. 

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William McKinley item declaring itself as a "button". Since 1896, the button has been a staple in political campaigns.

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The solar eclipse in 1900 influenced an array of button designs where one candidate "eclipses" the other.

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Theodore Roosevelt rebus button (rose + "velt").

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Franklin D. Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie ran against each other in 1940. Called a "salesman's safety pin" because it plays it safe and has both democratic and republican presidential candidates.

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 One of the most iconic campaign designs and slogans in American history. Supporting Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952.

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JFK delivered his famous "ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country" line at his inaugural address in 1961.

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 A clever design supporting Barry Goldwater in 1964. The glass is filled with a gold liquid plus the chemical name for water. Get it: gold water!

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Jimmy Carter was a peanut farmer and known for his big smile. This type of imagery made him more relatable as a candidate. He became our 39th president in 1976.

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A good example of how buttons distill ideas. While Reagan's inaugural speech was 2,452 words, this button only has 1.

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Karenna Gore is the oldest daughter of former Vice President Al Gore who was the Democratic nominee for President in the 2000 election running against Republican George W. Bush. In an attempt to reach young voters Gore helped her father's.

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300 of these glow-in-the-dark "Glowbama" buttons were passed out for free at the 2008 Victory Rally in downtown Chicago. They are now collectables - one of only a few buttons at the event. Made by Busy Beaver.

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