Third Parties: The Election of 1832
What was the first "third party" to win electoral votes in a US Presidential election? I didn't know the answer to this one. It turns out that the first time that a third party won any electoral votes in a contest for the presidency happened in the election of 1832, when not just one, but two third parties scored some points in the electoral college.
The 1832 presidential election incumbent President Andrew Jackson, candidate of the Democratic Party, defeat Henry Clay, candidate of the National Republican Party. This election was also ground-breaking in that it was the first time that presidential nominating conventions were held. Three political parties, the Democrats, the National Republicans, and the Anti-Masonic Party all held national conventions to select their respective presidential candidates.
At the conventions, Jackson won re-nomination without any opposition. The 1832 Democratic National Convention was notable for its replacement of Vice President John C. Calhoun with Martin Van Buren on the ticket with Jackson. The National Republican Convention nominated a ticket led by Henry Clay of Kentucky who had served as the Secretary of State under President John Quincy Adams. His running mate was Pennsylvania Congressman John Sergeant. The Anti-Masonic Party, one of the first major third parties in U.S. history, nominated former Attorney General William Wirt as their candidate for president. Second spot on the ticket went to Pennsylvania Attorney-General Amos Ellmacher.
Jackson faced heavy criticism from many sides because of his actions in vetoing the recharter of the Second Bank of the United States, in what became known as the "Bank War". Jackson's actions would later be blamed as the cause of the subsequent recession known as the Panic of 1837, but when he vetoed the bill rechartering the bank just prior to the election, he remained popular among the general public. The issue also divided the National Republicans, though Clay supported the recharter and his campaign was supported financially by supporters of the Bank.
The Anti-Masonic Party was the first to hold a national nominating convention, first not only in this election year, but the first national nominating convention in American history. In totak 111 delegates from 13 states (all from free states, except for Maryland and Delaware) met at the Athenaeum in Baltimore from September 26, 1831, to September 28, 1831.
The Anti-Masonic Party arose out of a movement that strongly opposed Freemasonry. At first it was a single-issue party, but it later expanded its platform to take positions on other issues. The party was founded following the disappearance of William Morgan, a former Mason who left the organization and a prominent critic of the group. Morgan's disappearance was blamed on the Masons. It was widely believed that the Masons had murdered Morgan for speaking out against Masonry. Many churches and other groups condemned Masonry as a result. At the time many Masons were prominent businessmen and politicians, and the Anti-Masonic movement also became a form of anti-elitism movement as well. The party was formed in upstate New York in 1828. It coincided with a time during the presidency of John Quincy Adams, when there was a period of political realignment. The Anti-Masons emerged as an prominant third-party alternative to Andrew Jackson's Democrats and Adams's National Republicans. In New York, the Anti-Masons replaced the National Republicans as the primary opposition to the Democrats.
The party enjoyed some unexpected success in the 1828 elections. Party leaders asked Clay to renounce his Masonic membership and leadthe party, but Clay declined. The Anti-Masons began to expand their platform to include support for internal improvements and a protective tariffs. In states such as Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, the party controlled the balance of power in the state legislature
At the nominating convention, several prominent politicians were considered for the presidential nomination. Richard Rush was considered to be the front runner, but he refused to seek the nomination. John Quincy Adams was willing to run as the Anti-Masonic candidate, but the party leaders saw him as too unpopular to defeat Jackson. At the convention delegates met behind closed doors for several days before the convention officially opened. The groundwork was laid for one official ballot to be taken, in which William Wirt defeated Rush and John McLean for the nomination. Ironically, Wirt was a Mason and had even defended the Order in a speech before the very convention at which he was nominated.Wirt was nominated for president with 108 votes to one for Richard Rush and two abstentions. Amos Ellmaker was nominated for vice-president with 108 votes to one for John C. Spencer (chairman of the convention) and two abstentions.
Wirt's plan was to gain an endorsement from the National Republican Party, but when that party nominated Henry Clay in December of 1831 at their convention, held in Baltimore. With his strategy having failed, Wirt realized thathe had no chance of being elected.
The Anti-Masons weren't the only party to win electoral votes in the election however. Although the South Carolina state legislature remained nominally under Democratic control, it refused to support Jackson in his bid for re-election because of the then-ongoing Nullification Crisis, a controversy in which the state had threatened secession if high tariffs which hurt the state's cotton industry were not lowered. Jackson in turn had threatened to lead an army against the state if if attempted to do so.
As a result, South Carolina decided to back a ticket proposed by the Nullifier Party led by John C. Calhoun. The party was formed by Calhoun sometime in 1828. It was a states' rights, pro-slavery party that supported the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, and believed that states could nullify federal laws within their borders, and also that slavery should remain legal. The Nullifier Party was the second ever third party to be created within the United States (the Anti-Masonic Party being the first). The Nullifier Party had several members in both houses of the Congress beginning in 1831. Calhoun had outlined the principles of the party in his written work, South Carolina Exposition and Protest (1828), which was written as a reaction to the "Tariff of Abominations" passed by Congress and signed into law by President John Quincy Adams.
Though he had served as Vice-President in two different administrations up to this time, Calhoun declined to head the party's presidential ticket, and instead nominated Governor of Virginia John Floyd, who was also opposed to Jackson's stances on the issue of states' rights. Somewhat surprisingly, a northerner, the Massachusetts born merchant and economist Henry Lee, was nominated as Floyd's running-mate. Floyd's candidacy was basically a protest against Jackson. The Nullifiers did not run in any state outside of South Carolina. But they did win all of the state's electoral votes.
Jackson won a majority of the popular vote (54.2%), and he captured 219 of the 286 electoral votes cast, carrying most states outside of New England. Clay won 37.4% of the popular vote and 49 electoral votes, while Wirt won 7.8% of the popular vote and carried the state of Vermont (7 electoral votes). Floyd received only the 11 electoral votes of South Carolina.
The 1832 presidential election incumbent President Andrew Jackson, candidate of the Democratic Party, defeat Henry Clay, candidate of the National Republican Party. This election was also ground-breaking in that it was the first time that presidential nominating conventions were held. Three political parties, the Democrats, the National Republicans, and the Anti-Masonic Party all held national conventions to select their respective presidential candidates.
At the conventions, Jackson won re-nomination without any opposition. The 1832 Democratic National Convention was notable for its replacement of Vice President John C. Calhoun with Martin Van Buren on the ticket with Jackson. The National Republican Convention nominated a ticket led by Henry Clay of Kentucky who had served as the Secretary of State under President John Quincy Adams. His running mate was Pennsylvania Congressman John Sergeant. The Anti-Masonic Party, one of the first major third parties in U.S. history, nominated former Attorney General William Wirt as their candidate for president. Second spot on the ticket went to Pennsylvania Attorney-General Amos Ellmacher.
Jackson faced heavy criticism from many sides because of his actions in vetoing the recharter of the Second Bank of the United States, in what became known as the "Bank War". Jackson's actions would later be blamed as the cause of the subsequent recession known as the Panic of 1837, but when he vetoed the bill rechartering the bank just prior to the election, he remained popular among the general public. The issue also divided the National Republicans, though Clay supported the recharter and his campaign was supported financially by supporters of the Bank.
The Anti-Masonic Party was the first to hold a national nominating convention, first not only in this election year, but the first national nominating convention in American history. In totak 111 delegates from 13 states (all from free states, except for Maryland and Delaware) met at the Athenaeum in Baltimore from September 26, 1831, to September 28, 1831.
The Anti-Masonic Party arose out of a movement that strongly opposed Freemasonry. At first it was a single-issue party, but it later expanded its platform to take positions on other issues. The party was founded following the disappearance of William Morgan, a former Mason who left the organization and a prominent critic of the group. Morgan's disappearance was blamed on the Masons. It was widely believed that the Masons had murdered Morgan for speaking out against Masonry. Many churches and other groups condemned Masonry as a result. At the time many Masons were prominent businessmen and politicians, and the Anti-Masonic movement also became a form of anti-elitism movement as well. The party was formed in upstate New York in 1828. It coincided with a time during the presidency of John Quincy Adams, when there was a period of political realignment. The Anti-Masons emerged as an prominant third-party alternative to Andrew Jackson's Democrats and Adams's National Republicans. In New York, the Anti-Masons replaced the National Republicans as the primary opposition to the Democrats.
The party enjoyed some unexpected success in the 1828 elections. Party leaders asked Clay to renounce his Masonic membership and leadthe party, but Clay declined. The Anti-Masons began to expand their platform to include support for internal improvements and a protective tariffs. In states such as Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, the party controlled the balance of power in the state legislature
At the nominating convention, several prominent politicians were considered for the presidential nomination. Richard Rush was considered to be the front runner, but he refused to seek the nomination. John Quincy Adams was willing to run as the Anti-Masonic candidate, but the party leaders saw him as too unpopular to defeat Jackson. At the convention delegates met behind closed doors for several days before the convention officially opened. The groundwork was laid for one official ballot to be taken, in which William Wirt defeated Rush and John McLean for the nomination. Ironically, Wirt was a Mason and had even defended the Order in a speech before the very convention at which he was nominated.Wirt was nominated for president with 108 votes to one for Richard Rush and two abstentions. Amos Ellmaker was nominated for vice-president with 108 votes to one for John C. Spencer (chairman of the convention) and two abstentions.
Wirt's plan was to gain an endorsement from the National Republican Party, but when that party nominated Henry Clay in December of 1831 at their convention, held in Baltimore. With his strategy having failed, Wirt realized thathe had no chance of being elected.
The Anti-Masons weren't the only party to win electoral votes in the election however. Although the South Carolina state legislature remained nominally under Democratic control, it refused to support Jackson in his bid for re-election because of the then-ongoing Nullification Crisis, a controversy in which the state had threatened secession if high tariffs which hurt the state's cotton industry were not lowered. Jackson in turn had threatened to lead an army against the state if if attempted to do so.
As a result, South Carolina decided to back a ticket proposed by the Nullifier Party led by John C. Calhoun. The party was formed by Calhoun sometime in 1828. It was a states' rights, pro-slavery party that supported the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, and believed that states could nullify federal laws within their borders, and also that slavery should remain legal. The Nullifier Party was the second ever third party to be created within the United States (the Anti-Masonic Party being the first). The Nullifier Party had several members in both houses of the Congress beginning in 1831. Calhoun had outlined the principles of the party in his written work, South Carolina Exposition and Protest (1828), which was written as a reaction to the "Tariff of Abominations" passed by Congress and signed into law by President John Quincy Adams.
Though he had served as Vice-President in two different administrations up to this time, Calhoun declined to head the party's presidential ticket, and instead nominated Governor of Virginia John Floyd, who was also opposed to Jackson's stances on the issue of states' rights. Somewhat surprisingly, a northerner, the Massachusetts born merchant and economist Henry Lee, was nominated as Floyd's running-mate. Floyd's candidacy was basically a protest against Jackson. The Nullifiers did not run in any state outside of South Carolina. But they did win all of the state's electoral votes.
Jackson won a majority of the popular vote (54.2%), and he captured 219 of the 286 electoral votes cast, carrying most states outside of New England. Clay won 37.4% of the popular vote and 49 electoral votes, while Wirt won 7.8% of the popular vote and carried the state of Vermont (7 electoral votes). Floyd received only the 11 electoral votes of South Carolina.