Constitutional Union Party (United States) facts for kids

A Constitutional Union campaign poster for the 1860 election. Shown are John Bell (left), the presidential nominee, and Edward Everett, the vice presidential nominee.

The Constitutional Union Party was a political party in the United States that started in 1860. It was formed by people who wanted to keep the country united. These members were mostly former Whigs. They also included former Know-Nothings and some Southern Democrats.

Their main goal was to stop states from leaving the Union over the issue of slavery. The party had a very simple idea: they believed in following the Constitution, keeping the states united, and making sure laws were followed. They hoped that by not taking a strong side on slavery, they could avoid a national conflict.

How the Party Began

Before the Constitutional Union Party, there was a group called the Unionist Party. It was started in 1850 by politicians from Georgia. These leaders wanted to support the Compromise of 1850. This compromise was an agreement meant to solve some problems related to slavery.

The Unionist Party wanted to stop Southern states from leaving the Union. It brought together Whigs and Democrats in the South. However, this party only existed in a few Southern states like Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama. It ended by 1851.

The Constitutional Union Party of 1860 brought together parts of the old Whig and Know-Nothing parties. These groups did not want to join either the Democrats or the Republicans. Senator John J. Crittenden of Kentucky helped start the party. He organized a meeting in December 1859 with about fifty lawmakers. This led to a big meeting in Baltimore in May 1860.

The 1860 Presidential Election

At their meeting, the party chose John Bell from Tennessee to run for President. They picked Edward Everett from Massachusetts to be his Vice President.

In the 1860 election, most of the party's votes came from former Southern Whigs or Know-Nothings. Some votes also came from Democrats who were against states leaving the Union. The party did not win more than half the votes in any state. However, they did win the electoral votes from three states: Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. This happened because the Democratic votes were split between two candidates.

Only two non-slave states, California and Massachusetts, gave the party more than 5% of their votes.

What Happened After 1860

The Constitutional Union Party mostly disappeared after 1860. This was because Southern states started to leave the Union. Even so, the party remained active in Congress until the end of the American Civil War.

John Bell and many other party members from the South later supported the Confederacy. But members from states north of the Carolinas usually stayed loyal to the Union. Constitutional Unionists were important in creating the Union-loyal state of West Virginia. They also helped Kentucky declare its support for the Union. In Missouri, many joined a new group called the Unconditional Union Party.

Edward Everett, the vice presidential candidate, strongly supported the Union. In 1863, he gave a speech at Gettysburg. This was just before Abraham Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address.

Images for kids

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  Results by county in the 1856 presidential election. Shades of yellow indicate counties that voted for American Party candidate Millard Fillmore. Many Fillmore supporters would later join the Constitutional Union Party.

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  Senator John J. Crittenden founded the party

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  Presidential nominee John Bell of Tennessee

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  Bell's share of the vote by county in the 1860 presidential election.

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  During the American Civil War, some states from the Constitutional Union base in the Upper South seceded, but Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri all remained in the Union

See also

In Spanish: Partido de la Unión Constitucional para niños