1864 United States presidential election

1864 United States presidential election
AndyHogan14 · Public domain · source
Election name	1864 United States presidential election
Country	United States
Type	presidential
Previous election	1860 United States presidential election
Previous year	1860
Election date	November 8, 1864
Next election	1868 United States presidential election
Next year	1868
Votes for election	233 members of the Electoral College
Needed votes	117 electoral
Turnout	73.8% 4.3 pp
Nominee1	Abraham Lincoln
Party1	National Union
Home state1	Illinois
Running mate1	Andrew Johnson
Electoral vote1	212
States carried1	22
Popular vote1	2,218,388
Percentage1	55.0%
Nominee2	George B. McClellan
Party2	Democratic
Home state2	New Jersey
Running mate2	George H. Pendleton
Electoral vote2	21
Popular vote2	1,812,807
Percentage2	45.0%
Title	President
Before election	Abraham Lincoln
Before party	Republican
After election	Abraham Lincoln
After party	National Union

1864 United States presidential election was held on Tuesday, November 8, 1864. Incumbent President Abraham Lincoln of the National Union Party defeated the Democratic nominee, former Commanding General George B. McClellan. The election occurred during the American Civil War and no electoral votes were counted from any of the eleven Southern states that had seceded. Lincoln's victory ensured the continuation of his policies aimed at preserving the Union and abolishing slavery.

Background

The election was conducted amid the ongoing American Civil War, a conflict that had raged since the Battle of Fort Sumter in 1861. President Abraham Lincoln faced significant political challenges, including dissatisfaction with the war's progress, the implementation of the Emancipation Proclamation, and the enactment of the Conscription Act of 1863, which sparked the New York City draft riots. A faction of Radical Republicans, such as Salmon P. Chase and John C. Frémont, initially opposed Lincoln's renomination, favoring a more aggressive approach toward the Confederate States of America. Key military victories in the fall of 1864, particularly General William Tecumseh Sherman's Capture of Atlanta, dramatically shifted public sentiment in favor of the administration and its war aims.

Nominations

The National Union Party, a coalition of Republicans and War Democrats, convened in Baltimore for their 1864 National Union National Convention. Lincoln was renominated with little opposition, but the vice-presidential nomination became contentious. To promote unity, Lincoln's first Vice President, Hannibal Hamlin, was replaced on the ticket by Andrew Johnson, the pro-Union Military Governor of Tennessee and a Democrat. The 1864 Democratic National Convention in Chicago nominated former Union General George B. McClellan, a popular but often hesitant commander Lincoln had previously relieved. The platform, influenced by Copperhead Clement Vallandigham, declared the war a failure and called for an immediate armistice, though McClellan personally repudiated this peace plank.

General election

The campaign was bitterly fought, with the Democratic press, including newspapers like the New York World, fiercely criticizing Lincoln's leadership and the Union Army's conduct. The National Union campaign, managed by figures like Simon Cameron, emphasized the necessity of victory and the moral cause of ending slavery, as framed in Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Soldiers' votes were crucial; many states, including Pennsylvania and New York, allowed troops to cast ballots in the field. The fall of Atlanta in September provided a decisive boost to Lincoln's popularity, undercutting Democratic claims of a stalemated war. McClellan campaigned on his military record and a platform of restoring the Union with slavery potentially intact.

Results

Abraham Lincoln won a decisive victory, capturing 212 electoral votes from 22 states, including every state that participated except Kentucky, Delaware, and New Jersey. McClellan won 21 electoral votes from those three states. The popular vote was closer, with Lincoln receiving 55.0% (2,218,388 votes) to McClellan's 45.0% (1,812,807). Lincoln's sweep of the Union states, including the critical states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York, demonstrated strong support for the war effort. The soldier vote overwhelmingly favored Lincoln, with an estimated 78% of the Union Army casting ballots for the incumbent commander-in-chief.

Aftermath

Lincoln's second inauguration on March 4, 1865, led to his seminal Second Inaugural Address, which called for "malice toward none" and "charity for all" in binding the nation's wounds. His victory ensured the Thirteenth Amendment, already passed by the Senate, would be pursued in the House, where it was ratified in January 1865. Tragically, Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre just six weeks into his new term, elevating Andrew Johnson to the presidency. Johnson's subsequent clashes with the Radical Republicans over Reconstruction policy set the stage for his impeachment in 1868.

Category:1864 United States presidential election Category:1864 elections in the United States Category:United States presidential elections