Hello, Reader..
Is it free speech or a $1 million bribe?
As Elon Musk makes headlines for his America PAC's $1 million payments to Wisconsin voters-- what critics call vote-buying and defenders call protected speech-- we're witnessing the latest chapter in a centuries-old American political tradition. [1]
This controversy raises an enduring question: Where is the line between influence and corruption in American democracy?
Let's explore the surprisingly open history of vote buying in early America-- and why these practices still matter today.
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Historical Perspective: Liquor, Landlords, & the Public Vote
πΌοΈ The Big Picture: In early America, elections were public affairs-- there were no secret ballots, and voting often meant standing before crowds to declare your choice aloud. Politicians used every advantage they could, from barrels of rum to economic pressure, to secure votes.
βοΈ Why It Mattered: Without ballot privacy, voting became not just political but social and economic. Powerful men could see how their tenants, workers, and neighbors voted, and they used this visibility to reward loyalty and punish opposition. "Buying" votes didn't always involve money; it might be alcohol, a job, or the promise that you could keep your farm.
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π Go Deeper
π₯ Washington, Madison, & the Politics of Punch
George Washington's 1758 campaign for the Virginia House of Burgesses included spending Β£39.6s on drinks for 391 voters--including 28 gallons of rum, 50 gallons and 1 hogshead of punch, 34 gallons of wine, and 46 gallons of strong beer.
After losing his first election (1755) because he refused to "treat" voters, Washington never made that mistake again. [2]
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Even principled James Madison learned this lesson the hard way. In 1789, Madison initially refused to provide alcohol during his congressional campaign while his opponent James Monroe served 144 gallons of rum, punch, and cider. Madison barely won and never skipped "treating" again. [3]
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π Public Voting Meant No Protection
In New York and Pennsylvania, landlords openly watched their tenants vote-- with some bluntly warning, "Vote wrong, lose your lease."
Workers faced similar pressure from employers who could monitor their votes.
Massachusetts became the first state to adopt the Australian or secret ballot in 1888. It took decades for other states to follow. [4]
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π₯ From Rum to Super PACs π΅
While the forms have changed, the debate over influence continues in modern campaigns.
The Musk controversy in Wisconsin represents a new iteration of an old problem: determining when persuasion crosses into improper inducement.
Unlike Washington's rum, which quenched immediate thirst, today's rewards promise life-changing sums--but the basic question remains: At what point does influence become corruption?
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π§ Tune In For More
To dive even deeper into the early American history of voting and elections, check out these episodes of Ben Franklinβs World:
π Episode 284: Investigate who could vote in Colonial British America and participate in its representative governments.
π Episode 285: Explore the first federal election in United States history.
π Episode 286: Check out how the sovereignty of Native nations fit within the sovereignty of the early United States.
π Episode 287: Consider the origins of the Electoral College.
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π§ Share Your Thoughts!
What do you think?
What parallels do you see between early American "treating" and modern campaign financing? is there a meaningful difference between buying drinks and offering larger financial rewards?
π© Hit Reply to share your thoughts.
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π¬ Join the conversation our Facebook community.
Have a good weekend,
βLiz Covartβ
Host, Ben Franklinβs Worldβ
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π End Notes
[1] Nadine Yousif, "Musk gives away $1m ahead of Wisconsin's Supreme Court election," BBC News, March 31, 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd7v3jj5xy9o, accessed April 2, 2025; Nicholas Riccardi, "Democrats' win in Wisconsin court race also is a big loss for Elon Musk," ABC News, April 1, 2025, https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/democrats-win-wisconsin-court-race-big-loss-elon-120398589, accessed April 2, 2025; Nicole Narea, "Elon Musk promised Wisconsin Voters a $1 million reward. Is that legal?" Vox, March 28, 2025, https://www.vox.com/politics/406398/elon-musk-wisconsin-supreme-court-payment-lottery, accessed April 2, 2025.
[2] Richard R. Beeman, The Varieties of Political Experience in Eighteenth-Century America, (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004), 39-41.
[3] Anthony J. Gaughan, "James Madison, Citizens United, and the Constitutional Problem of Corruption," American University Law Review, May 18, 2020; W.J. Rorabaugh, The Alcoholic Republic: An American Tradition, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1981).
[4] Susan Orr and James Johnson, "Voting by mail is convenient, but not always secret," The Conversation, August 4, 2020, https://theconversation.com/voting-by-mail-is-convenient-but-not-always-secret-144716, accessed April 2, 2025; James D'Angelo, "How the Secret Ballot Ended the Gilded Age," The Congressional Research Institute, December 16, 2024, https://www.congressionalresearch.org/SecretBallot.html, accessed April 2, 2024; Sun Bok Kim, Landlord and Tenant in Colonial New York, 1664-1775, (Chapel Hill: NC: University of North Carolina Press for the Institute of Early American History and Culture, 1978).
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π Further Reading
Richard R. Beeman, The Varieties of Political Experience in Eighteenth-Century America, (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004).
W.J. Rorabaugh, The Alcoholic Republic: An American Tradition, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1981).
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