Who is Hannibal Hamlin?

Hannibal Hamlin at one time was best known as Abraham Lincoln’s first vice president. He was chosen because he was notably anti-slavery and was thought to help Lincoln win the abolitionist vote. He did not play a significant role in the administration and was not close to Lincoln. 

After he was replaced by Andrew Johnson for Lincoln’s second term, Hamlin decided that the best way to connect with the American people was not through leadership or laws, but through gift giving. Thus, Hannibal Hamlin started a workshop in the frozen north of Bangor, Maine, where he made gifts for all the people of the country who had been good that year. 

Soon, the country grew so big, Hannibal Hamlin couldn’t do it on his own, so he was joined by other former vice presidents - George Clinton (not the same one who did Parliament Funkadelic, but Thomas Jefferson’s second VP) , Elbridge Gerry, Schuyler Colfax (who had a great beard), Garret Hobart, Spiro Agnew, and Dan Quayle. Hannibal Hamlin and his Hamlinions, as the band became known, travel across the country every Presidents’ Day Eve and deliver gifts, but remember to be nice - they only bring them to those who have been good this year!

 

What kind of gifts does Hannibal Hamlin bring?

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To all the civic and civil, as they are known, Hamlin brings individualized gifts. To some, he may bring a pocket constitution or a bobblehead of Grover Cleveland. To others, he may bring a Playstation 2.

But just remember, if you’ve been naughty, he may leave you a subpoena!

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How can I show my appreciation for Hannibal Hamlin?

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The night before Presidents' Day, it is customary to read the poem-story, "On the Morrow." That night, it is customary to leave Hamlin a Maine-themed offering, whether it be a lobster roll, an object representing one of Maine's many notable museums (The International Museum of Cryptozoology, Umbrella Cover Museum, the L. L. Bean Flagship store), or a miniature lighthouse.