Recounts the history of American politics during the 158 years of publication by The Times, combining analyses of critical elections during the period with extensive excerpts from the newspaper's reports and interpretations. The focus is on presidential and congressional elections that were historically critical in the evolution of the political parties, public policy, and national development in the United States. We examine fifteen presidential contests, from the triumphs of Lincoln to the promise of Obama, and six congressional campaigns, from 1854 to 1994. Together, they provide a chronological canvas of the American political landscape - with its varied leaders and voters, its changing shapes, its lights and shadows, and its vivid colors"--Site description