United States presidential election, 1880
Encyclopedia
The United States presidential election of 1880 was largely seen as a referendum on the end of Reconstruction in Southern
states carried out by the Republicans
. There were no pressing issues of the day save tariff
s, with the Republicans supporting higher tariffs and the Democrats
supporting lower ones.
Incumbent President
Rutherford B. Hayes
did not seek re-election, keeping a promise made during the 1876 campaign
. The Republican Party eventually chose another Ohio
an, James A. Garfield, as their standard-bearer. The Democratic Party meanwhile chose Civil War
General Winfield Scott Hancock
as their nominee. Despite capturing fewer than 2,000 more popular votes than Hancock, Garfield was easily elected, capturing 214 of the 369 electoral votes cast. It is to date the smallest popular vote victory in American history.
(1869–1877) openly sought nomination to a third term. He was indeed the front-runner going into the Republican Party convention
in Chicago
held on June 2-8. Grant's opponents supported a number of other candidates, including James G. Blaine
of Maine
and Ohio
's John Sherman
. James A. Garfield, who was representing the Ohio
delegation, gave a major speech in support of Sherman, but soon found himself among those receiving delegate votes. On the 36th ballot, Garfield garnered 399 delegate votes, surpassing Grant (who had 306), Blaine (42), and Sherman to win the nomination. After Levi P. Morton
backed out of the nomination to avoid a dispute, Chester A. Arthur
(a close friend to U.S. Senator Roscoe Conkling
) was subsequently chosen as Garfield's running mate by a large margin over Elihu B. Washburne
. The convention is noteworthy as it was the first at which delegates cast votes for an African-American, Blanche Bruce
. This convention took the most ballots to choose its party's nominee for president than any other Republican convention.
emerged as the leading candidate after Samuel J. Tilden
of New York withdrew his name from consideration. On the first ballot, Hancock led with 171 votes to 153.5 for Thomas F. Bayard
of Delaware, 81 for Henry B. Payne
of Ohio, 68.5 for Allen G. Thurman
of Ohio, and the rest scattered. On the next ballot, Tilden supporters pushed Samuel J. Randall
of Pennsylvania to second place with 128.5 votes, but Hancock held such a commanding lead with 320 votes that masses of delegates bolted to him before the second ballot was recorded, giving him 705 votes and the nomination.
William Hayden English
, an anti-Greenback
Indiana banker, was nominated for vice-president. Historian Emma Lou Thornbrough
suggests that, following the uncontested nomination of English as the vice-presidential candidate, the Democratic infatuation with the money question in Indiana ceased and "a political era had ended."
The Pennsylvanian who nominated Hancock said, "I present to the Convention one who on the battlefield was styled 'the superb,' yet whose first act when in command of Louisiana and Texas was to salute the Constitution by proclaiming that, 'the military rule shall ever be subservient to the civil power.' I nominated one whose name will suppress all faction and thrill the republic."
Source: US President - D Convention. Our Campaigns. (August 26, 2009).
Source: US Vice President - D Convention. Our Campaigns. (August 26, 2009).
as his running mate.
movement had led to the creation of a new nativist
political party, reusing the old name of the American Party
. Former Civil War general John W. Phelps
, the head of the Vermont
Anti-Masonic movement, was nominated for president and former Kansas senator Samuel C. Pomeroy
was nominated for vice-president.
Democrats began by attacking the contested 1876 election, with Republicans bringing up the Civil War again, but the campaign soon shifted to personality. Garfield campaigned as a hard-working, self-made man. Republicans avoided direct attacks on Hancock, who was widely-respected for his service at Gettysburg
, but claimed that the general would act as a figurehead
for corrupt Democrats, like the ones who tried to defame Garfield with the Morey letter
. The Democrats campaigned on Republican corruption, attacking Garfield and especially his running mate Arthur.
The end of the effects of the Panic of 1873
combined with a well-funded and well-run campaign gave the advantage to Garfield.
Source (Electoral Vote):
(a) See “Georgia's vote” below.
(b) See “California's vote” below.
, "The Congress may determine the Time of choosing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States." In 1792, Congress had set the date for the Electoral College to vote at the first Wednesday in December, and it was still set to that day in 1880, when it fell on December 1. However, Georgia's electors failed to cast their ballots on December 1, instead voting on the following Wednesday, December 8. Congress chose to count Georgia's vote in the official tally, but it is arguable that Georgia's electoral vote was constitutionally invalid, and thus that Hancock's electoral vote should have been 144, not 155.
, Garfield's primary supporter, before the election that allegedly favored Chinese immigration. Many in the western states were against Chinese immigration, claiming that the Chinese were limiting the growth of the Pacific coast.
Notably, Garfield won the presidency without California. No presidential candidate managed to reproduce this feat until Woodrow Wilson
's victory in the 1912 election
, and no Republican presidential candidate managed to reproduce this feat until George W. Bush
's victory in the 2000 election
.
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
states carried out by the Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. There were no pressing issues of the day save tariff
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
s, with the Republicans supporting higher tariffs and the Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
supporting lower ones.
Incumbent President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution...
did not seek re-election, keeping a promise made during the 1876 campaign
United States presidential election, 1876
The United States presidential election of 1876 was one of the most disputed and controversial presidential elections in American history. Samuel J. Tilden of New York outpolled Ohio's Rutherford B. Hayes in the popular vote, and had 184 electoral votes to Hayes's 165, with 20 votes uncounted...
. The Republican Party eventually chose another Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
an, James A. Garfield, as their standard-bearer. The Democratic Party meanwhile chose Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
General Winfield Scott Hancock
Winfield Scott Hancock
Winfield Scott Hancock was a career U.S. Army officer and the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 1880. He served with distinction in the Army for four decades, including service in the Mexican-American War and as a Union general in the American Civil War...
as their nominee. Despite capturing fewer than 2,000 more popular votes than Hancock, Garfield was easily elected, capturing 214 of the 369 electoral votes cast. It is to date the smallest popular vote victory in American history.
Republican Party nomination
Republican candidates:- James A. Garfield, U.S. Senator-Elect from OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
- Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
, former President of the United States from IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... - James G. BlaineJames G. BlaineJames Gillespie Blaine was a U.S. Representative, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, U.S. Senator from Maine, two-time Secretary of State...
, U.S. senator from MaineMaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost... - John ShermanJohn Sherman (politician)John Sherman, nicknamed "The Ohio Icicle" , was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Ohio during the Civil War and into the late nineteenth century. He served as both Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of State and was the principal author of the Sherman Antitrust Act...
, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
Candidates gallery
While President Hayes did not seek renomination, former President Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
(1869–1877) openly sought nomination to a third term. He was indeed the front-runner going into the Republican Party convention
1880 Republican National Convention
The 1880 Republican National Convention convened from June 2 to June 8, 1880 at the Interstate Exposition Building in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and nominated James A. Garfield and Chester A...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
held on June 2-8. Grant's opponents supported a number of other candidates, including James G. Blaine
James G. Blaine
James Gillespie Blaine was a U.S. Representative, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, U.S. Senator from Maine, two-time Secretary of State...
of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
's John Sherman
John Sherman (politician)
John Sherman, nicknamed "The Ohio Icicle" , was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Ohio during the Civil War and into the late nineteenth century. He served as both Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of State and was the principal author of the Sherman Antitrust Act...
. James A. Garfield, who was representing the Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
delegation, gave a major speech in support of Sherman, but soon found himself among those receiving delegate votes. On the 36th ballot, Garfield garnered 399 delegate votes, surpassing Grant (who had 306), Blaine (42), and Sherman to win the nomination. After Levi P. Morton
Levi P. Morton
Levi Parsons Morton was a Representative from New York and the 22nd Vice President of the United States . He also later served as the 31st Governor of New York.-Biography:...
backed out of the nomination to avoid a dispute, Chester A. Arthur
Chester A. Arthur
Chester Alan Arthur was the 21st President of the United States . Becoming President after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Arthur struggled to overcome suspicions of his beginnings as a politician from the New York City Republican machine, succeeding at that task by embracing...
(a close friend to U.S. Senator Roscoe Conkling
Roscoe Conkling
Roscoe Conkling was a politician from New York who served both as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was the leader of the Stalwart faction of the Republican Party and the last person to refuse a U.S. Supreme Court appointment after he had...
) was subsequently chosen as Garfield's running mate by a large margin over Elihu B. Washburne
Elihu B. Washburne
Elihu Benjamin Washburne was one of seven brothers who played a prominent role in the early formation of the United States Republican Party...
. The convention is noteworthy as it was the first at which delegates cast votes for an African-American, Blanche Bruce
Blanche Bruce
Blanche Kelso Bruce was a U.S. politician who represented Mississippi as a Republican in the U.S. Senate from 1875 to 1881 and was the first elected African-American senator to serve a full term. Hiram R. Revels, also of Mississippi, was the first to ever serve in the U.S...
. This convention took the most ballots to choose its party's nominee for president than any other Republican convention.
| Vice Presidential Ballot | |
| Chester A. Arthur Chester A. Arthur Chester Alan Arthur was the 21st President of the United States . Becoming President after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Arthur struggled to overcome suspicions of his beginnings as a politician from the New York City Republican machine, succeeding at that task by embracing... | 468 |
|---|---|
| Elihu B. Washburne Elihu B. Washburne Elihu Benjamin Washburne was one of seven brothers who played a prominent role in the early formation of the United States Republican Party... | 193 |
| Marshall Jewell Marshall Jewell Marshall Jewell was a U.S. political figure. He served as the 44th and 46th Governor of Connecticut between 1869 and 1870, and again from 1871 until 1873. Born in 1825 in Winchester, New Hampshire, he was first appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant as Minister to Russia from 1873 to 1874, but... | 44 |
| Horace Maynard Horace Maynard Horace Maynard was an American educator, attorney, politician and diplomat active primarily in the second half of the 19th century... | 30 |
| Blanche Bruce Blanche Bruce Blanche Kelso Bruce was a U.S. politician who represented Mississippi as a Republican in the U.S. Senate from 1875 to 1881 and was the first elected African-American senator to serve a full term. Hiram R. Revels, also of Mississippi, was the first to ever serve in the U.S... | 8 |
| James L. Alcorn James L. Alcorn James Lusk Alcorn was a prominent American political figure in Mississippi during the 19th century. He was a leading southern white Republican or "scalawag" during Reconstruction in Mississippi, where he served as governor and U.S. Senator... | 4 |
| Edmund J. Davis Edmund J. Davis Edmund Jackson Davis was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician. He was a Southern Unionist and served as a Union general in the American Civil War, besides serving one term as the 14th Governor of Texas.-Early years:... | 2 |
| Thomas Settle Thomas Settle (judge) Thomas Settle was an American judge and politician in North Carolina.Born in Rockingham County, North Carolina, Settle received a A.B. from the University of North Carolina in 1850 and read law to enter the bar in 1854. He was a private secretary to North Carolina Governor David S... | 1 |
| Stewart L. Woodford Stewart L. Woodford Stewart Lyndon Woodford was an American politician.-Life:He studied at Yale University and Columbia College . At the latter he graduated in 1854 and was a member of St. Anthony Hall... | 1 |
Democratic Party nomination
Democratic candidates:- Winfield Scott HancockWinfield Scott HancockWinfield Scott Hancock was a career U.S. Army officer and the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 1880. He served with distinction in the Army for four decades, including service in the Mexican-American War and as a Union general in the American Civil War...
, U.S. Major General from PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... - Thomas F. BayardThomas F. BayardThomas Francis Bayard was an American lawyer and politician from Wilmington, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served three terms as U.S. Senator from Delaware, and as U.S. Secretary of State, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom.-Early life and family:Bayard was born in...
, U.S. senator from DelawareDelawareDelaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania... - Samuel J. RandallSamuel J. RandallSamuel Jackson Randall was a Pennsylvania politician, attorney, soldier, and a prominent Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives during the late 19th century. He served as the 33rd Speaker of the House and a contender for his party's nomination for the President of the...
, U.S. representative from PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... - Henry B. PayneHenry B. PayneHenry B. Payne was a Democratic politician from Ohio. He served in both houses of the United States Congress....
, former U.S. representative from OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... - Allen G. ThurmanAllen G. ThurmanAllen Granberry Thurman was a Democratic Representative and Senator from Ohio, as well as the nominee of the Democratic Party for Vice President of the United States in 1888.-Biography:...
, U.S. senator from OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
Candidates gallery
At the Democratic national convention in Cincinnati on June 22-24, 1880, Winfield Scott HancockWinfield Scott Hancock
Winfield Scott Hancock was a career U.S. Army officer and the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 1880. He served with distinction in the Army for four decades, including service in the Mexican-American War and as a Union general in the American Civil War...
emerged as the leading candidate after Samuel J. Tilden
Samuel J. Tilden
Samuel Jones Tilden was the Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency in the disputed election of 1876, one of the most controversial American elections of the 19th century. He was the 25th Governor of New York...
of New York withdrew his name from consideration. On the first ballot, Hancock led with 171 votes to 153.5 for Thomas F. Bayard
Thomas F. Bayard
Thomas Francis Bayard was an American lawyer and politician from Wilmington, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served three terms as U.S. Senator from Delaware, and as U.S. Secretary of State, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom.-Early life and family:Bayard was born in...
of Delaware, 81 for Henry B. Payne
Henry B. Payne
Henry B. Payne was a Democratic politician from Ohio. He served in both houses of the United States Congress....
of Ohio, 68.5 for Allen G. Thurman
Allen G. Thurman
Allen Granberry Thurman was a Democratic Representative and Senator from Ohio, as well as the nominee of the Democratic Party for Vice President of the United States in 1888.-Biography:...
of Ohio, and the rest scattered. On the next ballot, Tilden supporters pushed Samuel J. Randall
Samuel J. Randall
Samuel Jackson Randall was a Pennsylvania politician, attorney, soldier, and a prominent Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives during the late 19th century. He served as the 33rd Speaker of the House and a contender for his party's nomination for the President of the...
of Pennsylvania to second place with 128.5 votes, but Hancock held such a commanding lead with 320 votes that masses of delegates bolted to him before the second ballot was recorded, giving him 705 votes and the nomination.
William Hayden English
William Hayden English
William Hayden English was an American politician from Indiana.William English was most famous for his role in the passage of the infamous, pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution of Kansas in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1858...
, an anti-Greenback
Greenback
Greenback may refer to:In currency:* Greenback , a fiat currency issued during the American Civil War**United States Note**Demand Note, issued in 1861–62* A modern United States Federal Reserve Note...
Indiana banker, was nominated for vice-president. Historian Emma Lou Thornbrough
Emma Lou Thornbrough
-History:Emma Lou Thornbrough was born in Indianapolis, where she attended Shortridge High School and Butler University. A recipient of degrees from Butler University and a Ph.D. in history from the University of Michigan , she was a pioneer among professional historians who have researched and...
suggests that, following the uncontested nomination of English as the vice-presidential candidate, the Democratic infatuation with the money question in Indiana ceased and "a political era had ended."
The Pennsylvanian who nominated Hancock said, "I present to the Convention one who on the battlefield was styled 'the superb,' yet whose first act when in command of Louisiana and Texas was to salute the Constitution by proclaiming that, 'the military rule shall ever be subservient to the civil power.' I nominated one whose name will suppress all faction and thrill the republic."
| Presidential Ballot | |||
| Ballot | 1st | 2nd Before Shifts | 2nd After Shifts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winfield Scott Hancock Winfield Scott Hancock Winfield Scott Hancock was a career U.S. Army officer and the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 1880. He served with distinction in the Army for four decades, including service in the Mexican-American War and as a Union general in the American Civil War... | 171 | 320 | 705 |
| Thomas F. Bayard Thomas F. Bayard Thomas Francis Bayard was an American lawyer and politician from Wilmington, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served three terms as U.S. Senator from Delaware, and as U.S. Secretary of State, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom.-Early life and family:Bayard was born in... | 153.5 | 112 | 2 |
| Samuel J. Randall Samuel J. Randall Samuel Jackson Randall was a Pennsylvania politician, attorney, soldier, and a prominent Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives during the late 19th century. He served as the 33rd Speaker of the House and a contender for his party's nomination for the President of the... | 6 | 128.5 | 0 |
| Henry B. Payne Henry B. Payne Henry B. Payne was a Democratic politician from Ohio. He served in both houses of the United States Congress.... | 81 | 0 | 0 |
| Allen G. Thurman Allen G. Thurman Allen Granberry Thurman was a Democratic Representative and Senator from Ohio, as well as the nominee of the Democratic Party for Vice President of the United States in 1888.-Biography:... | 68.5 | 50 | 0 |
| Others | 247.5 | 124.5 | 31 |
| Abstaining | 10.5 | 3 | 0 |
Source: US President - D Convention. Our Campaigns. (August 26, 2009).
| Vice Presidential Ballot | |
| William Hayden English William Hayden English William Hayden English was an American politician from Indiana.William English was most famous for his role in the passage of the infamous, pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution of Kansas in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1858... | 738 |
|---|
Source: US Vice President - D Convention. Our Campaigns. (August 26, 2009).
Greenback Party nomination
Dissatisfied with the fiscal policies of both parties, the Greenback Party, a minor force in the 1876 election, returned with James B. Weaver as its Presidential nominee and Benjamin J. ChambersBenjamin J. Chambers
Barzillai J. Chambers was an American surveyor, lawyer, and politician of the Gilded Age from Texas. He unsuccessfully ran for Vice President on the ticket of the Greenback Labor Party and James Baird Weaver in 1880. The pair received only 3.3% of the popular vote and no electoral votes...
as his running mate.
American Party nomination
The distrust of the MasonicFreemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
movement had led to the creation of a new nativist
Nativism (politics)
Nativism favors the interests of certain established inhabitants of an area or nation as compared to claims of newcomers or immigrants. It may also include the re-establishment or perpetuation of such individuals or their culture....
political party, reusing the old name of the American Party
Know Nothing
The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...
. Former Civil War general John W. Phelps
John W. Phelps
John Wolcott Phelps , was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, an author, an ardent abolitionist and presidential candidate.-Soldier and abolitionist:...
, the head of the Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
Anti-Masonic movement, was nominated for president and former Kansas senator Samuel C. Pomeroy
Samuel C. Pomeroy
Samuel Clarke Pomeroy was an American Republican Senator from Kansas in the mid-19th century, serving in the United States Senate during the American Civil War. Pomeroy served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives...
was nominated for vice-president.
Campaign
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, but claimed that the general would act as a figurehead
Figurehead
A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and 19th century.-History:Although earlier ships had often had some form of bow ornamentation A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and...
for corrupt Democrats, like the ones who tried to defame Garfield with the Morey letter
Morey letter
The Morey letter was a forgery that appeared during the 1880 United States presidential election.On October 20, 1880, the New York newspaper The Truth published a letter that was supposed to have been written by Republican presidential candidate James A. Garfield to an "H.L. Morey" of Lynn,...
. The Democrats campaigned on Republican corruption, attacking Garfield and especially his running mate Arthur.
The end of the effects of the Panic of 1873
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The depression was known as the Great Depression until the 1930s, but is now known as the Long Depression...
combined with a well-funded and well-run campaign gave the advantage to Garfield.
Results
Source (Popular Vote):Source (Electoral Vote):
(a) See “Georgia's vote” below.
(b) See “California's vote” below.
Georgia's vote
According to Article II, Section 1, clause 3 of the ConstitutionUnited States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
, "The Congress may determine the Time of choosing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States." In 1792, Congress had set the date for the Electoral College to vote at the first Wednesday in December, and it was still set to that day in 1880, when it fell on December 1. However, Georgia's electors failed to cast their ballots on December 1, instead voting on the following Wednesday, December 8. Congress chose to count Georgia's vote in the official tally, but it is arguable that Georgia's electoral vote was constitutionally invalid, and thus that Hancock's electoral vote should have been 144, not 155.
California's vote
In this year, California's electoral votes were split between the two candidates, with Garfield getting one and Hancock getting five, giving Garfield nineteen states plus one electoral vote. It is speculated that Garfield lost electoral votes in California due to a letter written by Senator James G. BlaineJames G. Blaine
James Gillespie Blaine was a U.S. Representative, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, U.S. Senator from Maine, two-time Secretary of State...
, Garfield's primary supporter, before the election that allegedly favored Chinese immigration. Many in the western states were against Chinese immigration, claiming that the Chinese were limiting the growth of the Pacific coast.
Notably, Garfield won the presidency without California. No presidential candidate managed to reproduce this feat until Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
's victory in the 1912 election
United States presidential election, 1912
The United States presidential election of 1912 was a rare four-way contest. Incumbent President William Howard Taft was renominated by the Republican Party with the support of its conservative wing. After former President Theodore Roosevelt failed to receive the Republican nomination, he called...
, and no Republican presidential candidate managed to reproduce this feat until George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's victory in the 2000 election
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
.
See also
- American election campaigns in the 19th centuryAmerican election campaigns in the 19th CenturyIn the 19th century, a number of new methods for conducting American Election Campaigns developed in the United States. For the most part the techniques were original, not copied from Europe or anywhere else...
- History of the United States (1865–1918)History of the United States (1865–1918)The History of the United States covers Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, and the Progressive Era, and includes the rise of industrialization and the resulting surge of immigration in the United States. This period of rapid economic growth and soaring prosperity in North and West saw the U.S...
- Third Party SystemThird Party SystemThe Third Party System is a term of periodization used by historians and political scientists to describe a period in American political history from about 1854 to the mid-1890s that featured profound developments in issues of nationalism, modernization, and race...
External links
- 1880 popular vote by counties
- Garfield and Arthur campaign handkerchief, 1880, in the Staten Island Historical Society Online Collections Database
- Harp Week
- Caricature by Joseph Keppler of 1880 Presidential Candidates
- How close was the 1880 election? — Michael Sheppard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology