Horatio Seymour 1868 presidential campaign facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Horatio Seymour for President |
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| Campaign | U.S. presidential election, 1868 |
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| Affiliation | Democratic Party |
| Status | Lost general election |
In 1868, the Democrats chose Horatio Seymour, a former New York Governor, to run for President. His running mate was Francis Preston Blair Jr., a Representative from Missouri. Their campaign focused on bringing the country back together after the Civil War. They also supported states' rights and opposed the federal government's plan for Reconstruction in the South. They did not support equal rights or voting rights for Black Americans.
Meanwhile, the Republicans nominated Ulysses S. Grant, a famous general who won the American Civil War. Grant was a war hero, and his campaign supported Reconstruction and the Fourteenth Amendment. This amendment aimed to give basic rights to newly freed African Americans. In the end, the Seymour-Blair team lost the 1868 election to Grant and his running mate, Schuyler Colfax.
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The 1868 Election: A Look Back
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The 1868 election happened just three years after the end of the American Civil War. It was also less than a year after President Andrew Johnson faced impeachment charges. He was almost removed from office, missing it by just one vote.
During this time, the Fourteenth Amendment was approved. This important amendment was created to protect the basic rights of African Americans who had recently been freed from slavery. The Republican-controlled Congress made it a rule. They said that former Confederate states had to approve the Fourteenth Amendment to rejoin the Union.
Choosing the Democratic Candidate
Before the 1868 Democratic Convention, many people thought about who should run for president. Some Democrats even considered General Ulysses S. Grant. But Grant made it clear he did not want to be a Democrat.
The Democrats then looked at George H. Pendleton, who had been their Vice Presidential candidate in 1864. Pendleton was popular, especially in the Western United States. However, he supported printing more money to help people in debt. Many Democrats disagreed with this idea. They wanted someone who supported the gold standard, which meant money should be backed by gold.
Another important candidate was Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase. He had support from some Democrats. But his support for voting rights and other basic rights for African-Americans made it hard for him to get the nomination. Other candidates included Senator James Rood Doolittle and General Winfield Scott Hancock. Even President Andrew Johnson tried to get the nomination, but many of his supporters left him after his impeachment.
The 1868 Democratic National Convention
The 1868 Democratic National Convention started on July 4, 1868, in New York City. Horatio Seymour, the Governor of New York, was chosen to lead the convention.
The Democratic Party's main ideas for 1868 were clear. They accepted that slavery was over and that states could not leave the Union. But they wanted to end Reconstruction right away. They called for states to regain control and for the U.S. military to leave the Southern United States. They also wanted to pardon all former Confederates. The Democrats also criticized the Republicans. They said Republicans were violating the rights of Southern states and treating them unfairly.
During the voting, George Pendleton led at first. Other candidates like President Johnson and General Hancock also received votes. Over many rounds of voting, no single candidate could get enough support.
Finally, on the 22nd vote, General George Wythe McCook suggested Horatio Seymour. Seymour did not want to be president and tried to refuse. But the delegates were so excited that they voted for him anyway. For his running mate, they chose Francis Preston Blair Jr. from Missouri.
The 1868 Presidential Campaign
The Republican candidate, General Ulysses S. Grant, did not travel much for his campaign. Instead, his supporters did the work. They gave speeches, handed out pamphlets, and held rallies. Republicans argued that they were the party that saved the Union and ended slavery. They said that electing a Democrat would stop the progress of Reconstruction.
The Democrats, on the other hand, said that Republicans wanted Black equality across the country. They also criticized the military rule in the South. Democrats claimed they were the only party that could truly unite the nation. They also attacked Grant, calling him names.
As the election got closer, Horatio Seymour started a speaking tour. He visited many cities like Syracuse, Buffalo, and Philadelphia. However, his speeches were often similar and did not seem to excite many voters. His running mate, Frank Blair Jr., also made some mistakes. For example, he predicted that a Grant presidency would turn the U.S. into a military dictatorship. These issues made it harder for the Democrats to win.
Election Results and Impact
On November 3, 1868, Ulysses S. Grant won the election. He defeated Horatio Seymour by about 53% to 47% in the popular vote. In the electoral vote, Grant won by a large margin of 214 to 80. About 78% of eligible Americans voted in this election. This included about 500,000 African-American men who voted for the first time.
Even though Seymour lost, he did win some states. He won New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware. He also came very close to winning California. Historians note that Grant's victory in the popular vote was largely thanks to the votes of Black Americans in the Southern states.
After Grant's victory, Republicans became less interested in Reconstruction over the next few years. This eventually led to the Jim Crow era in the South. However, the Republican win in 1868, with the help of African-American voters, led to an important change. It encouraged them to pass the Fifteenth Amendment. This amendment said that people could not be stopped from voting because of their race or color. Even though this amendment was later avoided in some Southern states through things like poll taxes and literacy tests, it was a big step forward for voting rights.
