The1856 Republican National Conventionwas apresidential nominating conventionthat met from June 17 to June 19, 1856, atMusical Fund Hallat 808Locust StreetinPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania.[1]It was the first national nominating convention of theRepublican Party,founded two years earlier in 1854. It was held to nominate the party's candidates forpresidentandvice presidentin the1856 election.The convention selectedJohn C. Frémont,a formerUnited States SenatorfromCalifornia,forpresident,and former SenatorWilliam L. DaytonofNew Jerseyforvice president.The convention also appointed members of the newly establishedRepublican National Committee.
| 1856 presidential election | |
  Nominees Frémont and Dayton | |
| Convention | |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | June 17–19, 1856 |
| City | Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,U.S. |
| Venue | Musical Fund Hallat 808Locust Street,Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,U.S. |
| Candidates | |
| Presidential nominee | John C. Frémontof California |
| Vice-presidential nominee | William L. Daytonof New Jersey |
The Republican Party had been organized by opponents of the expansion ofslaveryin theterritoriesfollowing the passage of the 1854Kansas–Nebraska Act.WithWilliam Seward,Salmon P. Chase,andCharles Sumnerall taking their names out of consideration, Frémont entered the Republican convention as the front-runner for the presidential nomination. Frémont had previously been nominated by the North American Party, which consisted of anti-slavery members of theAmerican Partywho were unwilling to support the American Party candidate,Millard Fillmore.Though Associate JusticeJohn McLeanof Ohio had the backing of some delegates, Frémont clinched the presidential nomination on the first formal ballot of the Republican convention.
Dayton was nominated on the first formal vice-presidential ballot, defeating former CongressmanAbraham Lincolnof Illinois and several other candidates. The Republican ticket carried several Northern states in the general election, but theDemocraticticket ofJames BuchananandJohn C. Breckinridgewon the 1856 election.
History
editBackground
editOn June 19, 1855, a small gathering of like-minded individuals met inWashington, D.C.where they passed a resolution noting the recent abrogation of "all compromises, real or imaginary" by the opening ofKansas TerritoryandNebraska Territoryto the possible institution ofslavery.[2][3]These proclaimed themselves the "Republican Association of Washington, District of Columbia" and passed a simple four plank platform including the demand that "There should be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except for the punishment of crime, in any of the Territories of the United States."[4]A number of state organizations were soon established along similar lines and theRepublican Partywas effectively born.
On January 17, 1856, representatives of Republican Party organizations inOhio,Massachusetts,Pennsylvania,Vermont,andWisconsin,all Northern states in which slavery was prohibited, issued a joint call for an "informal Convention" to be held inPittsburgh,on February 22, 1856, in order to perfect the national organization and to call a formal, properly delegated national convention to nominate candidates forPresidentandVice-President of the United Statesfor the forthcoming November 1856 election.[4]The gathering elected a governing National Executive Committee and passed various resolutions calling for the repeal of laws enabling slaveholding in free territories and "resistance by Constitutional means of Slavery in any Territory," defense of anti-slavery individuals in Kansas who were coming under physical attack, and a call to "resist and overthrow the present National Administration" ofFranklin Pierce,"as it is identified with the progress of the Slave power to national supremacy."[5]One speaker fromKansaswasSamuel Newitt Woodwho was central to all of theBleeding Kansasevents and according toThe New York Timeswas the "lion of the evening."[6]
The 22-memberRepublican National Committee,which included one representative from each state attending the Pittsburgh Convention, met in plenary session on March 27, 1856, at theWillard Hotelin Washington, D.C., and issued a call for a formal presidential nominating convention.[7]This was slated to begin on June 17, 1856, inPhiladelphia.[7]Each state organization was to be allocated six at-large delegates, plus three delegates for each congressional district.[7]
North American Party convention
editThe candidates to be nominated by the new Republican party were first nominated by the anti-slavery rump of theAmerican Party.
American party members from the North who were opposed to slavery formed their own party after the nomination of former PresidentMillard FillmoreinPhiladelphia.This party called for its national convention to be held inNew York, New York,just before the Republican National Convention. Party leaders hoped to nominate a joint ticket with the Republicans to defeat Buchanan. The national convention was held on June 12 to 20, 1856 in New York. As John C. Frémont was the favorite to attain the Republican nomination there was a considerable desire for the North American party to nominate him, but it was feared that in doing so they may possibly injure his chances to actually become the Republican nominee. The delegates voted repeatedly on a nominee for president without a result.Nathaniel P. Bankswas nominated for president on the 10th ballot overJohn C. FrémontandJohn McLean,with the understanding that he would withdraw from the race and endorse John C. Frémont once he had won the Republican nomination. The delegates, preparing to return home, unanimously nominated Frémont on the 11th ballot shortly after his nomination by the Republican Party in Philadelphia. The chairman of the convention, William F. Johnston, had been nominated to run for vice-president, but later withdrew when the North Americans and the Republicans failed to find an acceptable accommodation between him and the Republican nominee,William Dayton.[8]
| Presidential ballots | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Vice-presidential ballot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nathaniel P. Banks | 43 | 48 | 46 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 51 | 50 | 50 | 53 | 0 | William F. Johnston | 59 |
| John C. Frémont | 34 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 18 | 92 | Thomas Ford | 16 |
| John McLean | 19 | 10 | 2 | 29 | 33 | 40 | 41 | 40 | 30 | 24 | 0 | John C. Frémont | 12 |
| Robert F. Stockton | 14 | 20 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Scattering | 21 |
| William F. Johnston | 6 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Scattering | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The first Republican convention
editThe first Republican National Convention was held in the Musical Fund Hall inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania, on June 17–19, 1856. It was led by Robert Emmet as temporary chairman andHenry S. Laneas the permanent chairman.[9]The convention approved an anti-slavery platform that called for congressional sovereignty in the territories, an end topolygamy in Mormonsettlements, and federal assistance for atranscontinental railroad.[10]Kentucky was the only southern state to have a delegation at the convention.[11]
Presidential nomination
editPresidential candidates
edit
John C. Frémont, John McLean, Nathaniel Banks, William Seward, Salmon Chase, and Charles Sumner all were considered by those at the convention, but the latter three requested that their names be withdrawn. The Massachusetts delegation resolved in a morning meeting to vote unanimously for Banks. However, the name of Banks was then authoritatively and peremptorily withdrawn and the delegation resolved as a unit to support Frémont. McLean's name was initially withdrawn by his managerRufus Spalding,but the withdrawal was rescinded at the strong behest of the Pennsylvania delegation led byThaddeus Stevens.[12]Frémont was nominated for president overwhelmingly on the formal ballot.
| Presidential ballot | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st (informal) | 1st (formal) | |
| Frémont | 359 | 520 |
| McLean | 190 | 37 |
| Sumner | 2 | 0 |
| Banks | 1 | 0 |
| Seward | 1 | 1 |
| Not Represented | 336 | 336 |
| Not Voting | 8 | 3 |
Presidential balloting / 2nd day of convention (June 18, 1856)
-
1st
presidential ballot
(informal) -
1st
presidential ballot
(formal)
Vice-presidential nomination
editVice-presidential candidates
edit
William L. Daytonwas nominated for vice president overAbraham Lincoln.[13]
| Vice-presidential ballot | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st (informal) | 1st (formal) | Unanimous | |
| Dayton | 253 | 523 | 561 |
| Lincoln | 110 | 20 | |
| Banks | 46 | 4 | |
| Wilmot | 43 | 0 | |
| Sumner | 35 | 4 | |
| Collamer | 15 | 0 | |
| King | 9 | 1 | |
| Pomeroy | 8 | 0 | |
| Ford | 7 | 1 | |
| Carey | 3 | 0 | |
| Clay | 3 | 0 | |
| Giddings | 2 | 0 | |
| Johnson | 2 | 0 | |
| Pennington | 1 | 0 | |
| Wilson | 1 | 0 | |
| Elder | 0 | 1 | |
| Not represented | 336 | 336 | 336 |
| Not voting | 23 | 7 | |
Vice-presidential balloting / 3rd day of convention (June 19, 1856)
-
1st
vice-presidential ballot
(Informal) -
1st
vice-presidential ballot
(Formal)
See also
editFootnotes
edit- ^"The Origins of the Republican Party".Republican Philadelphia.Philadelphia, PA: Independence Hall Association.RetrievedJuly 7,2020.
- ^Charles W. Johnson (ed.),Proceedings of the First Three Republican National Conventions of 1856, 1860 and 1864: Including Proceedings of the Antecedent National Convention Held at Pittsburg in February, 1856, as Reported by Horace Greeley.Minneapolis, MN: Harrison and Smith, Printers, 1893; pg. 3.
- ^Monroe, R.D. "The Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Rise of the Republican Party, 1854-1856."DeKalb, Illinois: Lincoln Digitization Project, Illinois University Digital Library, retrieved online February 19, 2019.
- ^abJohnson (ed.),Proceedings of the First Three Republican National Conventions of 1856, 1860 and 1864,pg. 4.
- ^Johnson (ed.),Proceedings of the First Three Republican National Conventions of 1856, 1860 and 1864,pp. 10–11.
- ^The New York Times,February 22, 1856, pg 4
- ^abcJohnson (ed.),Proceedings of the First Three Republican National Conventions of 1856, 1860 and 1864,pg. 14.
- ^Schlesinger, Arthur M. Jr.American Presidential Elections.pp. 1022–1023.[full citation needed]
- ^Havel, James T. (1996).U.S. Presidential Elections and the Candidates: A Biographical and Historical Guide.Vol. 2: The Elections, 1789–1992. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 30.ISBN0-02-864623-1.
- ^Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T."Republican Party Platform of 1856".The American Presidency Project.Archivedfrom the original on 2024-05-23.Retrieved2024-08-07.
- ^National Party Conventions, 1831-1976.Congressional Quarterly.1979.
- ^Roseboom, Eugene H.A History of Presidential Elections.p. 162.[full citation needed]
- ^Nyce, Caroline Mimbs and Chris Bodenner. "The Day Lincoln Took the Reins of the Republican Party."Washington, D.C.:The Atlantic,May 18, 2016.
Further reading
edit- Gienapp, William E. (1987).Origins of the Republican Party, 1852–1856.New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN0-19-504100-3.
- Johnson, Charles W., ed. (1893).Proceedings of the First Three Republican National Conventions of 1856, 1860 and 1864: Including Proceedings of the Antecedent National Convention Held at Pittsburg in February, 1856, as Reported by Horace Greeley.Minneapolis, MN: Harrison and Smith, Printers.
- Julian, George W. (1899). "The First Republican National Convention".American Historical Review.4(2): 313–322.doi:10.2307/1833558.JSTOR1833558.
External links
edit
| Preceded by - |
Republican National Conventions | Succeeded by 1860 Chicago |