There are many similarities between the election of 1860 and the primary campaigns of today. First of all, Reginald Remington Trump and Hector Granville Cruz -- distant relatives of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz -- were candidates for the Republican nomination (information is HERE). Second, Rufina Permelia Heath -- distant kin to Sarah Palin -- endorsed Reginald Remington Trump (information HERE). There are even similarities in some of Trump's wild claims (information HERE) and in some of the 1860 debates (information HERE).
Now, another parallel has surfaced: A few days ago, MSNBC news correspondent Chris Hayes inadvertently referred to Bernie Sanders as "Bernie Sandwich." Coincidentally, a distant relative of Hayes' -- Christopher Cuthbert Hayes -- made a similar gaffe in 1860 when he referred to the Whig party candidate Hamilton "Ham" Sanders as "Ham Sandwich" in a telegraph correspondence to The New York Times. News of the blunder spread quickly, and Times reporter Antoinette Meme even published a humorous likeness of the candidate with the caption "This Ham Sandwich is a bit too crusty." The photograph became known as a "Meme," or an "Antoinette Meme," until the early 21st century when people began referring to such pictures as "Internet Memes."
Pictured below, left: Christopher Cuthbert Hayes. Center: Hamilton "Ham" Sanders. Right: "This Ham Sandwich is a bit too crusty," the first "Antoinette Meme" from 1860, now known as an Internet Meme.
Now, another parallel has surfaced: A few days ago, MSNBC news correspondent Chris Hayes inadvertently referred to Bernie Sanders as "Bernie Sandwich." Coincidentally, a distant relative of Hayes' -- Christopher Cuthbert Hayes -- made a similar gaffe in 1860 when he referred to the Whig party candidate Hamilton "Ham" Sanders as "Ham Sandwich" in a telegraph correspondence to The New York Times. News of the blunder spread quickly, and Times reporter Antoinette Meme even published a humorous likeness of the candidate with the caption "This Ham Sandwich is a bit too crusty." The photograph became known as a "Meme," or an "Antoinette Meme," until the early 21st century when people began referring to such pictures as "Internet Memes."
Pictured below, left: Christopher Cuthbert Hayes. Center: Hamilton "Ham" Sanders. Right: "This Ham Sandwich is a bit too crusty," the first "Antoinette Meme" from 1860, now known as an Internet Meme.
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Emmett Lee Dickinson, Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed (at her request), wrote about this infamous gaffe in his now-classic poem "I say in Haste" (below on the left). His poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem "We play at Paste" (below on the right).
| By Emmett Lee Dickinson: I say in Haste – Till corrected, on Air – Then, drop the Haste – And deem myself a fool – The Names – though – were similar – And my old Brain Just went Spastic – Babbling “Sandwich” – | By Emily Dickinson: We play at Paste – Till qualified, for Pearl – Then, drop the Paste – And deem ourself a fool – The Shapes – though – were similar – And our new Hands Learned Gem-Tactics – Practicing Sands – |
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