1860 Constitutional Union Convention
{{Short description|U.S. political event held in Baltimore, Maryland}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox National Political Convention
| year = 1860
| party = Constitutional Union
| image = John Bell, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing slightly left, eyes front Crop.jpg
| image2 = SecEdwardEverett.png
| image_size2 = 95px
| date = May 9–10, 1860
| presidential_nominee = John Bell
| presidential_nominee_state = Tennessee
| vice_presidential_nominee = Edward Everett
| vice_presidential_nominee_state =
Massachusetts
| caption = Nominees
Bell and Everett
| only_year = yes
}}
The 1860 Constitutional Union National Convention met on May 9, 1860, in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the only national convention ever held by the Constitutional Union Party, which was organized largely by former Whig Party members from the Southern United States who opposed secession. The convention nominated former Senator John Bell of Tennessee for president and former Secretary of State Edward Everett of Massachusetts for vice president.
Bell won the presidential nomination on the second ballot of the convention, defeating Everett, Governor Sam Houston of Texas, Senator John J. Crittenden of Kentucky, former Governor William Alexander Graham of North Carolina, Associate Justice John McLean of Ohio, and several other candidates. In the 1860 presidential election, Bell and Everett finished third in the electoral vote and fourth in the popular vote.
Background
After the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, the Whigs collapsed due to divisions over slavery. Many Northern Whigs shifted to the new Republican Party, while many Southern Whigs joined the American Party, or "Know Nothings."Joseph Parks, John Bell of Tennessee (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1950).{{rp|304}} By 1859, the Know Nothing movement had collapsed, but some former Southern Whigs who refused to join their long-time rivals in the Democratic Party had organized themselves into the "Opposition Party." Several of this party's supporters, among them Knoxville Whig editor William Brownlow, former vice presidential candidate Andrew Jackson Donelson, and California attorney Balie Peyton sought to launch a third-party presidential ticket.{{rp|346}}
In May 1860, disgruntled ex-Whigs and disenchanted moderates from across the country convened in Baltimore, where they formed the Constitutional Union Party. The party's platform was very broad and made no mention of slavery. While there were several candidates for the party's presidential nomination, the two frontrunners were Bell and Sam Houston.{{rp|354}}
Presidential nomination
= Presidential candidates =
File:John-bell-brady-handy-cropped restored.jpg|{{center|John Bell, Tennessee
former U.S. SenatorJohn Bell was a former U.S. Senator, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, U.S. Secretary of War}}
File:SHouston 2.jpg|{{center|Sam Houston, Texas
GovernorSam Houston was a sitting Governor of Texas, former U.S. Senator, President of the Republic of Texas, Governor of Tennessee, and U.S. Representative (Tennessee-7)}}
File:John Jordan Crittenden - Brady 1855.jpg|{{center|John J. Crittenden, Kentucky
U.S. SenatorJohn Crittenden was a sitting U.S. Senator, former U.S. Attorney General, Governor of Kentucky, U.S. Representative (Kentucky-8)}}
File:SecEdwardEverett.png|{{center|Edward Everett, Massachusetts
former U.S. SenatorEdward Everett was a former U.S. Senator, U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Minister to the United Kingdom, Governor of Massachusetts, U.S. Representative (Massachusetts-4)}}
File:William Alexander Graham - Brady-Handy.jpg|{{center|William A. Graham, North Carolina
former U.S. SenatorWilliam A. Graham was a former U.S. Senator, Governor of North Carolina, U.S. Secretary of the Navy}}
File:WilliamCRives.png|{{center|William C. Rives, Virginia
former U.S. SenatorWilliam C. Rives was a former U.S. Senator 1832–1834, and again 1836-1845}}
File:Bell-everett-campaign-poster-1860b.jpg
Bell led the initial round of balloting with 68.5 votes to Houston's 59. The remainder of the votes were split among eight other candidates. Houston's military endeavors had brought him national renown, but he reminded the convention's Clay Whigs of their old foe Andrew Jackson. On May 10, Bell received 139 votes to Houston's 69, and was declared the candidate.{{rp|354}}
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | Presidential Ballot | ||
| Ballot | 1st | 2nd (Before Shifts) |
|---|---|---|
| Bell
|style="background:#e8c93e;"|68.5 |style="background:#e8c93e;"|139 | ||
| Houston
|style="background:#f0dc82;"|57 |style="background:#f0dc82;"|69 | ||
| Crittenden
|style="background:#f8efc6;"|28 |1 | ||
| Everett
|25 |9.5 | ||
| Graham
|22 |style="background:#f8efc6;"|18.5 | ||
| McLean
|21 |1 | ||
| Rives
|13 |style="background:#d3d3d3"|0 | ||
| Botts
|9.5 |7.5 | ||
| Sharkey
|7 |8.5 | ||
| Goggin
|3 |style="background:#d3d3d3"|0 | ||
| Not Represented
|49 |49 |
Presidential Balloting / 2nd Day of Convention (May 10, 1860)
File:1860ConstitutionalUnionPresidentialNomination1stBallot.png|1st Presidential Ballot
File:1860ConstitutionalUnionPresidentialNomination2ndBallotBefore.png|2nd Presidential Ballot
(Before Shifts)
Vice presidential nomination
=Vice presidential candidates =
SecEdwardEverett.png|{{center|Former Senator
Edward Everett
of Massachusetts}}
GovWashingtonHunt.png|{{center|Former Governor
Washington Hunt
of New York
(Withdrawn)}}
The vice presidential nomination went to Edward Everett of Massachusetts, who had served as president of Harvard University and as Secretary of State in the Fillmore administration. Everett was nominated by acclaimation.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{United States presidential election, 1860}}
{{Whig Party (United States)}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1860 United States presidential election
Category:Political conventions in Baltimore
Constitutional Union Convention