Retrograde in History · 1868
1868 United States presidential election
On November 3, 1868, Mercury was mid-loop — retrograde in Scorpio, tracing backward through 15°31′ of the sign.
WhenNovember 3, 1868♏︎Scorpio 15°31′Rx windowOct 25 – Nov 14, 1868
The record
On November 3, 1868, Republican Ulysses S. Grant defeated Democrat Horatio Seymour in the first presidential election where African Americans could vote in the reconstructed Southern states.
Born inside this same window
Coincidence, not causation: the date is real and ephemeris-based, but a retrograde window is observed, never blamed. For entertainment, not navigation.