The Election of 1856
The presidential election of 1856 occurred in one of the most contentious times in US history. It led to the election of James Buchanan, a man seen as an acceptable compromise because of his background as a diplomat, because he was seen as a "doughface" (a northerner who was sympathetic to the south) and because in the period prior to the election he had been out of the country, serving as the U.S. ambassador to the Great Britain. The Whig Party, which had been one of the two major parties in the U.S., had self-destructed over the issue of slavery, and new parties such as the Republican Party and the American Party (colloquially called the “Know Nothing Party”) competed to replace it's place on the political spectrum.
The Democratic Party was smarting from its devastating losses in the 1854-1855 midterm elections. U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, who had sponsored the Kansas-Nebraska Act, entered the race in opposition to President Franklin Pierce. Both were not seen by their party as winners. When the Democratic National Convention opened in Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 2, 1856, the delegates were deeply divided over the issue of slavery. For the first time in US history, a man who had been elected president was denied re-nomination after actively seeking it. On the first ballot, Buchanan placed first with 135.5 votes to 122.5 for Pierce, 33 for Douglas, and 5 for Lewis Cass. With each succeeding ballot, Douglas gained at Pierce's expense. On the 15th ballot, most of Pierce's delegates shifted to Douglas in an attempt to stop Buchanan, but on the 17th ballot, Buchanan was unanimously nominated. John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky was nominated for vice-president.
The American Party absorbed most of the former Whig Party in 1854, and by 1855 it had established itself as the chief opposition party to the Democrats. The party convention was held in Philadelphia from February 22 to February 25, 1856. When party leaders decided not to press the slavery issue, the more vigorous anti-slavery delegates bolted. Former President Millard Fillmore was nominated for president and Andrew Jackson Donelson of Tennessee (nephew of Andrew Jackson) was nominated for vice-president.
The Republican Party was formed in early 1854 to oppose the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The party had run candidates midterm elections of 1854-1855, and it was successful 13 seats in the U.S. House for the 34th Congress. In the elections of 1855, the Republican Party won three governorships. The first Republican National Convention was held in Philadelphia from June 17 to June 19, 1856. The convention approved an anti-slavery platform, calling for Congressional sovereignty in the territories, an end to polygamy in Mormon settlements, and federal assistance for a transcontinental railroad. John C. Frémont was nominated for president over John McLean, and William L. Dayton was nominated for vice-president, finishing ahead of Abraham Lincoln.
The Republican Party opposed the extension of slavery into the territories. Its slogan was "Free speech, free press, free soil, free men, Frémont and victory!" Democrats countered this by warning that a Republican victory would bring a civil war. The Republicans also accused the Pierce administration of allowing a fraudulent territorial government to be imposed upon the citizens of the Kansas Territory. They advocated the immediate admission of Kansas as a free state.
The Democratic platform supported the Kansas-Nebraska Act and popular sovereignty. The party supported the pro-slavery territorial legislature elected in Kansas. The Democrats also supported a plan to annex Cuba.
The campaign had different results in the free states and the slave states. In the free states, there was a three-way campaign, which Frémont won with 45.2% of the vote to 41.5% for Buchanan and 13.3% for Fillmore. Frémont received 114 electoral votes to 62 for Buchanan. In the slave states, however, the contest mainly between Buchanan and Fillmore. In those states Buchanan won 56.1% of the vote to 43.8% for Fillmore and 0.1% for Fremont. Buchanan won 112 electoral votes to 8 for Fillmore. Nationwide, Buchanan won 174 electoral votes.
The election results were interpreted by many as the writing on the wall that the Republican Party would probably win the next presidential election, in 1860. To achieve this it only needed two more states, such as Pennsylvania and Illinois. And we all know how that turned out.
The Democratic Party was smarting from its devastating losses in the 1854-1855 midterm elections. U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, who had sponsored the Kansas-Nebraska Act, entered the race in opposition to President Franklin Pierce. Both were not seen by their party as winners. When the Democratic National Convention opened in Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 2, 1856, the delegates were deeply divided over the issue of slavery. For the first time in US history, a man who had been elected president was denied re-nomination after actively seeking it. On the first ballot, Buchanan placed first with 135.5 votes to 122.5 for Pierce, 33 for Douglas, and 5 for Lewis Cass. With each succeeding ballot, Douglas gained at Pierce's expense. On the 15th ballot, most of Pierce's delegates shifted to Douglas in an attempt to stop Buchanan, but on the 17th ballot, Buchanan was unanimously nominated. John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky was nominated for vice-president.
The American Party absorbed most of the former Whig Party in 1854, and by 1855 it had established itself as the chief opposition party to the Democrats. The party convention was held in Philadelphia from February 22 to February 25, 1856. When party leaders decided not to press the slavery issue, the more vigorous anti-slavery delegates bolted. Former President Millard Fillmore was nominated for president and Andrew Jackson Donelson of Tennessee (nephew of Andrew Jackson) was nominated for vice-president.
The Republican Party was formed in early 1854 to oppose the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The party had run candidates midterm elections of 1854-1855, and it was successful 13 seats in the U.S. House for the 34th Congress. In the elections of 1855, the Republican Party won three governorships. The first Republican National Convention was held in Philadelphia from June 17 to June 19, 1856. The convention approved an anti-slavery platform, calling for Congressional sovereignty in the territories, an end to polygamy in Mormon settlements, and federal assistance for a transcontinental railroad. John C. Frémont was nominated for president over John McLean, and William L. Dayton was nominated for vice-president, finishing ahead of Abraham Lincoln.
The Republican Party opposed the extension of slavery into the territories. Its slogan was "Free speech, free press, free soil, free men, Frémont and victory!" Democrats countered this by warning that a Republican victory would bring a civil war. The Republicans also accused the Pierce administration of allowing a fraudulent territorial government to be imposed upon the citizens of the Kansas Territory. They advocated the immediate admission of Kansas as a free state.
The Democratic platform supported the Kansas-Nebraska Act and popular sovereignty. The party supported the pro-slavery territorial legislature elected in Kansas. The Democrats also supported a plan to annex Cuba.
The campaign had different results in the free states and the slave states. In the free states, there was a three-way campaign, which Frémont won with 45.2% of the vote to 41.5% for Buchanan and 13.3% for Fillmore. Frémont received 114 electoral votes to 62 for Buchanan. In the slave states, however, the contest mainly between Buchanan and Fillmore. In those states Buchanan won 56.1% of the vote to 43.8% for Fillmore and 0.1% for Fremont. Buchanan won 112 electoral votes to 8 for Fillmore. Nationwide, Buchanan won 174 electoral votes.
The election results were interpreted by many as the writing on the wall that the Republican Party would probably win the next presidential election, in 1860. To achieve this it only needed two more states, such as Pennsylvania and Illinois. And we all know how that turned out.