View source for 1860 Constitutional Union Convention

{{Short description|U.S. political event held in Baltimore, Maryland}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox National Political Convention
| year = 1860
| party = Constitutional Union
| image = John Bell, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing slightly left, eyes front Crop.jpg
| image2 = SecEdwardEverett.png
| image_size2 = 95px
| date = May 9–10, 1860
| city = [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]]
| presidential_nominee = [[John Bell (Tennessee politician)|John Bell]]
| presidential_nominee_state = [[Tennessee]]
| vice_presidential_nominee = [[Edward Everett]]
| vice_presidential_nominee_state = <br/>[[Massachusetts]]
| caption = Nominees <br> Bell and Everett
| only_year = yes
}}

The '''1860 Constitutional Union National Convention''' met on May 9, 1860, in [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]]. It was the only national convention ever held by the [[Constitutional Union Party (United States)|Constitutional Union Party]], which was organized largely by former [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig Party]] members from the [[Southern United States]] who opposed [[secession in the United States|secession]]. The convention nominated former Senator [[John Bell (Tennessee politician)|John Bell]] of Tennessee for [[President of the United States|president]] and former Secretary of State [[Edward Everett]] of Massachusetts for [[Vice President of the United States|vice president]].

Bell won the presidential nomination on the second ballot of the convention, defeating Everett, Governor [[Sam Houston]] of Texas, Senator [[John J. Crittenden]] of Kentucky, former Governor [[William Alexander Graham]] of North Carolina, Associate Justice [[John McLean]] of Ohio, and several other candidates. In the [[1860 United States presidential election|1860 presidential election]], Bell and Everett finished third in the [[United States Electoral College|electoral vote]] and fourth in the popular vote.

== Background ==
After the passage of the [[Kansas-Nebraska Act]] in 1854, the [[Whig Party (United States)|Whigs]] collapsed due to divisions over [[slavery in the United States|slavery]]. Many Northern Whigs shifted to the new [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], while many Southern Whigs joined the American Party, or "[[Know Nothing]]s."<ref name=parks>Joseph Parks, ''John Bell of Tennessee'' (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1950).</ref>{{rp|304}} By 1859, the Know Nothing movement had collapsed, but some former Southern Whigs who refused to join their long-time rivals in the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] had organized themselves into the "[[Opposition Party (Southern U.S.)|Opposition Party]]." Several of this party's supporters, among them ''Knoxville Whig'' editor William Brownlow, former vice presidential candidate [[Andrew Jackson Donelson]], and California attorney [[Balie Peyton]] sought to launch a third-party presidential ticket.<ref name=parks />{{rp|346}}

In May 1860, disgruntled ex-Whigs and disenchanted moderates from across the country convened in Baltimore, where they formed the [[Constitutional Union Party (United States)|Constitutional Union Party]]. The party's platform was very broad and made no mention of slavery. While there were several candidates for the party's presidential nomination, the two frontrunners were Bell and Sam Houston.<ref name=parks />{{rp|354}}

== Presidential nomination ==
=== Presidential candidates ===
<gallery perrow="3">
File:John-bell-brady-handy-cropped restored.jpg|{{center|'''[[John Bell (Tennessee politician)|John Bell]]''', Tennessee<br>former U.S. Senator<ref>John Bell was a former U.S. Senator, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, U.S. Secretary of War</ref>}}
File:SHouston 2.jpg|{{center|'''[[Sam Houston]]''', Texas<br>Governor<ref>Sam Houston was a sitting Governor of Texas, former U.S. Senator, President of the Republic of Texas, Governor of Tennessee, and U.S. Representative (Tennessee-7)</ref>}}
File:John Jordan Crittenden - Brady 1855.jpg|{{center|'''[[John J. Crittenden]]''', Kentucky<br>U.S. Senator<ref>John Crittenden was a sitting U.S. Senator, former U.S. Attorney General, Governor of Kentucky, U.S. Representative (Kentucky-8)</ref>}}
File:SecEdwardEverett.png|{{center|'''[[Edward Everett]]''', Massachusetts<br>former U.S. Senator<ref>Edward Everett was a former U.S. Senator, U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Minister to the United Kingdom, Governor of Massachusetts, U.S. Representative (Massachusetts-4)</ref>}}
File:William Alexander Graham - Brady-Handy.jpg|{{center|'''[[William Alexander Graham|William A. Graham]]''', North Carolina<br>former U.S. Senator<ref>William A. Graham was a former U.S. Senator, Governor of North Carolina, U.S. Secretary of the Navy</ref>}}
File:WilliamCRives.png|{{center|'''[[William C. Rives]]''', Virginia<br>former U.S. Senator<ref>William C. Rives was a former U.S. Senator 1832–1834, and again 1836-1845</ref>}}
</gallery>

[[File:Bell-everett-campaign-poster-1860b.jpg|thumb|right|upright|A Constitutional Union campaign poster, 1860, portraying John Bell and Edward Everett, respectively the candidates for president and vice president. Once Lincoln was inaugurated, and called up the militia, Bell supported the secession of Tennessee. In 1863, Everett dedicated the new cemetery at Gettysburg.]]
Bell led the initial round of balloting with 68.5 votes to Houston's 59. The remainder of the votes were split among eight other candidates. Houston's military endeavors had brought him national renown, but he reminded the convention's Clay Whigs of their old foe Andrew Jackson. On May 10, Bell received 139 votes to Houston's 69, and was declared the candidate.<ref name=parks />{{rp|354}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="3" | '''Presidential Ballot'''
|-
!  Ballot !!1st!!  2nd (Before Shifts)
|-
![[John Bell (Tennessee politician)|Bell]]
|style="background:#e8c93e;"|68.5
|style="background:#e8c93e;"|139
|-
![[Sam Houston|Houston]]
|style="background:#f0dc82;"|57
|style="background:#f0dc82;"|69
|-
![[John J. Crittenden|Crittenden]]
|style="background:#f8efc6;"|28
|1
|-
![[Edward Everett|Everett]]
|25
|9.5
|-
![[William Alexander Graham|Graham]]
|22
|style="background:#f8efc6;"|18.5
|-
![[John McLean|McLean]]
|21
|1
|-
![[William C. Rives|Rives]]
|13
|style="background:#d3d3d3"|0
|-
![[John M. Botts|Botts]]
|9.5
|7.5
|-
![[William L. Sharkey|Sharkey]]
|7
|8.5
|-
![[William L. Goggin|Goggin]]
|3
|style="background:#d3d3d3"|0
|-
!Not Represented
|49
|49
|}

<br />
'''Presidential Balloting / 2nd Day of Convention (May 10, 1860)'''
<gallery perrow="2" style="text-align:center;">
File:1860ConstitutionalUnionPresidentialNomination1stBallot.png|'''1st Presidential Ballot'''
File:1860ConstitutionalUnionPresidentialNomination2ndBallotBefore.png|'''2nd Presidential Ballot<br/>(Before Shifts)'''
</gallery>

== Vice presidential nomination ==
===Vice presidential candidates ===
<gallery perrow="2" style="text-align:center;">
SecEdwardEverett.png|{{center|[[United States Senate|Former Senator]]<br />'''[[Edward Everett]]'''<br />of [[Massachusetts]]}}
GovWashingtonHunt.png|{{center|[[List of Governors of New York|Former Governor]]<br />'''[[Washington Hunt]]'''<br />of [[New York (state)|New York]]<br /><small>''(Withdrawn)''</small>}}
</gallery>

The vice presidential nomination went to [[Edward Everett]] of Massachusetts, who had served as president of [[Harvard University]] and as [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] in the Fillmore administration. Everett was nominated by acclaimation.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{United States presidential election, 1860}}
{{Whig Party (United States)}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1860 United States presidential election]]
[[Category:Political conventions in Baltimore]]
[[Category:1860 in Maryland]]
[[Category:1860 conferences]]
[[Category:May 1860|Constitutional Union Convention]]
[[Category:19th-century political conferences]]
[[Category:1860s in Baltimore]]
[[Category:Sam Houston]]