1856 Presidential election Flashcards
(7 cards)
Bleeding Sumner and Farmers view
On May 19th-20th 1856, Senator Charles Sumner (a Republican from Massachusetts, an abolitionist) delivered his speech called ‘Crime against Kansas’. In his speech he criticised pro-slavery senators (in particular Andrew Butler)
On May 22nd , Butlers relative Representative Preston Brooks of South Carolina went into the senate chamber and beat Sumner with a cane, leaving him sevearly injured and he was unable to return to the senate for almost 3 years.
Events in Congress
Farmer argues “a single event in Congress in May 1856 may have been more important in helping the Republican party than the general situation in Kansas” because Northerners saw the events of bleeding sumner as an attack on free speech and evidence of the slave power conspiracy. This was used as a powerful symbol in their campaign.
Know Northings candidate
Know nothings/ Whigs
Elected ex – President Millard Fillmore. Was a mistake because he lost support from the North as despite him being a Northerner, he had pro-southern sympathies such as the fugitive slave law.
republican candidate and platform
Republicans
Republican candidate was John C Fermont. He seemed like an ideal candidate because he had little political experience, meaning that he had few enemies. Additionally, he had influential supporters from within the Republican party.
Republican platform: included anti-slavery principles, made no mention on how they’d deal with the Fugitive Slave Law and said nothing about slavery in the district of Columbia, said little about the nativist issue.
democrat candidate and platform
Democrats
Democrat candidate was James Buchanan. He seemed like a safe candidate because he had been abroad during 1854-56 as he had been American Minister in Russia and Britain, this meant he wasn’t linked to the unpopular Democrat policies during this time period.
Democrats’ platform: approved popular sovereignty, wanted to uphold the 1850 Compromise and supported the Union.
Buchanan won the election, with 43% of the total vote. #
Republicans came second with 33.1% of total
Know nothings came last with 21.6% of votes.
northern competition
In the North the competition was mainly between Fermont, Republican candidate, and Buchanan, Democrat candidate. It was the first time since 1849-50 that there were fears about the safety of the Union.
benifit of 1856 presidential election for Republicans
Despite the Republican defeat, they had cause to be optimistic because Republicans won all of the free states except Pennsylvania, New Jersy, Indiana, Illiois and California.
