The Swamp logo

Reconstruction Starts

Democratic Conventions 1864,1868

By John HeckenlivelyPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
Like

The Third in a series on the history of the Democratic National Convention

1864: The Youngest Ticket in American History

Dates: August 29 - 31, 1864

Venue: “Wigwam” amphitheater, Chicago. The 1864 convention was held in a temporary structure built for the convention. Political meeting venues in the 19th century were often called Wigwams.

Events: The ninth Democratic National Convention was held during the later days of the Civil War. The war was trending in favor of the Union, but victory was not certain until several months later. Democrats opposed to Lincoln were seeking to end the war at any cost.

Peace Democrats were also known as “Copperheads.” They nominated former General George McClellan, age 37. McClellan was hacked off at Lincoln because the president had sacked him for not being aggressive enough in prosecuting the Civil War. McClellan was nominated on the first ballot with 202 votes. His running mate was Ohio congressman George Pendleton, who was even with former Treasury Secretary James Guthrie at the first vote. Many of Guthrie’s delegates then switched to Pendleton, giving his a majority. He has nominated unanimously on the second ballot. McClellan at 37 and Pendleton at 39 were the youngest ticket in the history of the United States.

McClellan supported a “peace at all costs” platform, even if that meant a negotiated settlement with the Confederacy on the terms of the war. McClellan also opposed the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863.

November: Abraham Lincoln entered the 1864 campaign concerned about the possibility of victory. After three years of brutal conflict in battles such as Antietam, Shiloh and Gettysburg, even many northerners were war weary. However, the September 2 capture of Atlanta by William Tecumseh Sherman, which foreshadowed the ultimate Union victory, almost guaranteed Lincoln’s victory. That and the fact that the states most likely to support McClellan’s positions had seceded from the Union.

Lincoln won with 55 percent of the popular vote and a huge electoral margin. Lincoln was only a month into his second term when he was assassinated only days after the end of the Civil War. Andrew Johnson became the 17th President.

1868: “This is a White Man’s Country”

Date: July 4 - 9, 1868

Venue: Tammany Hall, 141 East 14th Street, New York City. Tammany Hall was the headquarters for the Democratic political machine in New York; In 1868, it was controlled by William Marcy Tweed, one of the most corrupt characters in the history of American politics. The original building is long gone, but the address is near New York University.

Events: George Pendleton, the vice presidential candidate in 1864, was the leader for the first 15 rounds. Momentum then shifted to General Winfield Hancock, with a sizeable number for Thomas Hendricks of Indiana. After 21 rounds of fighting, the convention turned to former New York Governor Horatio Seymour. He was nominated unanimously on the 22nd ballot. Francis Blair, a congressman from Missouri, was nominated for Vice President.

While the war may have ended the question of slavery, it did not end the Democratic Party as the party of white supremacy. The theme of the 1868 convention was “This is a White Man’s Country, Let White Men Rule.” (Also Steve Bannon’s proposed slogan for the 2016 Republican convention).

The 1868 convention was the first convention to hear speakers on the issue of women's suffrage, although the convention took no action on the issue.

Celebrity Watch: Among the notable people at the convention were Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest, founder of the Ku Klux Klan, and Boss Tweed (it was in his building after all).

November: Democrats were faced with the problem that Ulysses S Grant had “defeated the Confederacy in the Civil War” on his resume. Grant used his popularity as a war hero and coasted to an easy electoral victory. His popular vote margin was 52.7 to 47.3, around 300,000 votes, and his electoral margin was 214 to 80.

history
Like

About the Creator

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.