Here & Now Anytime 25 at 250: America's homegrown diamonds and Civil War mail-in ballots
Mar 6, 2026
Gabriela Farfan, curator of gems and minerals at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, introduces America's rare homegrown diamonds and how they came to the National Gem Collection. Short segments explore the Uncle Sam and Freedom diamonds, public digging at Crater of Diamonds State Park, and why U.S. commercial diamond mining faded out.
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Civil War Soldier Voting Changed Election Stakes
- The 1864 presidential election risked being decided by soldiers away from home during the Civil War, prompting states to allow field voting.
- State legislatures passed acts for camp elections where officers tallied results and sent tallies home, creating uncertainty and suspicion.
Tally Sheets Replaced Individual Ballots In The Field
- Soldiers voted in mini-elections conducted in camps, and officers tallied results rather than individual mailed ballots.
- The tally sheet on display is from a field hospital in Atlanta recording votes from Ohio soldiers, sent to county election boards.
Officer-Run Counts Created Coercion Concerns
- Officers counting votes raised concerns about coercion and secrecy because commanders knew how their men voted.
- That dynamic fueled contemporary claims of fraud and pressure, mirroring later mail-in voting controversies.
