The 1860 Constitutional Union National Convention met on May 9, 1860, in

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Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

. 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 The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Cens ...

who opposed

secession Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...

. The convention nominated former Senator John Bell of Tennessee for

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

and former Secretary of State

Edward Everett Edward Everett (April 11, 1794 – January 15, 1865) was an American politician, Unitarian pastor, educator, diplomat, and orator from Massachusetts. Everett, as a Whig, served as U.S. representative, U.S. senator, the 15th governor of Mas ...

of Massachusetts for

vice president A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

. Bell won the presidential nomination on the second ballot of the convention, defeating Everett, Governor

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two indi ...

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 Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

. Many Northern Whigs shifted to the new Republican Party, while many Southern Whigs joined the American Party, or "

Know Nothing The American Party, known as the Native American Party before 1855 and colloquially referred to as the Know Nothings, or the Know Nothing Party, was an Old Stock Americans, Old Stock Nativism in United States politics, nativist political movem ...

s."Joseph Parks, ''John Bell of Tennessee'' (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1950). 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 In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government (or, in American English, the administration), party or group in political control of a city, region, state, coun ...

." 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. 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.

Presidential nomination

Presidential candidates

File:John-bell-brady-handy-cropped restored.jpg, File:SHouston 2.jpg, File:John Jordan Crittenden - Brady 1855.jpg, File:SecEdwardEverett.png, File:William Alexander Graham - Brady-Handy.jpg, File:WilliamCRives.png, Bell-everett-campaign-poster-1860b

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.
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, GovWashingtonHunt.png, The vice presidential nomination went to

of Massachusetts, who had served as president of

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

and as Secretary of State in the Fillmore administration. Everett was nominated by acclaimation.

References

{{Authority control 1860 United States presidential election Political conventions in Baltimore 1860 in Maryland 1860 conferences Constitutional Union Convention 19th-century political conferences 1860s in Baltimore Sam Houston