The Election of 1864 was the first presidential election during a war since the War of 1812, and the stakes were incredibly high, especially for incumbent President Abraham Lincoln.
America’s Darkest Period
Since Lincoln’s election in 1860, the Civil War had erupted following the attack on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. After 11 states seceded to form the Confederate States of America, the conflict resulted in enormous casualties. Despite significant Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg and Ulysses S. Grant’s appointment as General-in-Chief, the Confederacy continued to resist, and the war showed no signs of ending.
Opposition to the war grew, as evidenced by the New York City Draft Riots in July 1863, where draft-eligible men protested conscription and expressed fears of job competition from Black soldiers. The riots, which lasted only a few days, resulted in over 100 deaths and more than 2,000 injuries. As the 1864 election approached, it was clear that battlefield outcomes would heavily influence the election’s results.
Divided Parties
Both the Democratic and Republican Parties were divided going into the election. The Democrats were split into ‘Peace Democrats’ (or “Copperheads”), who sought an end to the war through negotiation, and ‘War Democrats’, who wanted to continue the fight until the Confederacy was defeated.
The Republican Party also experienced division, with some members forming the Radical Democracy Party, which strongly supported abolition. They nominated John C. Fremont, the 1856 Republican presidential candidate, with John Cochran, a Union General, as his running mate. Fremont and Cochran withdrew from the race in September after evaluating the Democrats’ platform.
Lincoln’s Presidency & The National Union Party
Lincoln’s presidency was dominated by the war. While initially moderate on slavery, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and made a compelling case for abolition in his Gettysburg Address. Despite his efforts, his presidency faced challenges, including the suspension of habeas corpus and a fractured Republican Party. To bolster his re-election chances, Lincoln replaced his Vice President, Hannibal Hamlin, with Andrew Johnson, the Military Governor of Tennessee, as his running mate.
The Radical Democracy Party’s withdrawal and the Union’s success at the Battle of Atlanta in September significantly improved Lincoln’s chances. However, he faced a formidable opponent in General George B. McClellan, his former commander.
The History Between Lincoln and McClellan
George McClellan, appointed General of the Union Army in November 1861, struggled with indecision and reluctance to engage in battle. His strained relationship with Lincoln culminated in a public snub and a letter that led to McClellan’s dismissal after the Battle of Antietam. McClellan later won the Democratic nomination for president, running with Ohio Representative George Pendleton. The Democrats’ inconsistent platform, combined with Fremont’s endorsement of Lincoln, made the election a clear choice between Lincoln and McClellan.
Election of 1864 Results and Aftermath
By 1864, Kansas, Nevada, and West Virginia were Union states eligible to vote, increasing the electoral vote total to 118. Lincoln won a decisive victory with 212 electoral votes and 55% of the popular vote, while McClellan received 45% of the popular vote and 21 electoral votes (from Kentucky, New Jersey, and Delaware). Lincoln’s re-election marked him as the first Republican president to serve a second term. However, Lincoln’s second term was cut short when he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865. Booth, a Confederate sympathizer, fatally shot Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre. Lincoln’s death the following day made him the first U.S. president to be assassinated, leading to Andrew Johnson’s ascension to the presidency and the beginning of the Reconstruction Era.
