Presidential Candidates Crave the Spotlight. 200 Years Ago That Was Taboo.

For a century, presidential candidates were discouraged from campaigning for themselves. That meant no campaign rallies, stump speeches or handshakes with voters.

The 2020 election is just about as far away from these early norms as you can get.

Our video explores the people and cultural forces that erased these traditions and brought us into the current era.