Election of 1868 – The Civil War has finally ended, but the years since have been tumultuous. Now, Union Army General Ulysses S. Grant faces former New York Governor Horatio Seymour in one of the most significant elections in U.S. history. Let’s dive into it.
The Reconstruction Era
By 1865, the Civil War had concluded with a Union victory. All but three Confederate states—Texas, Mississippi, and Virginia—had been reintegrated into the Union. Additionally, Nebraska had officially joined the United States, making it eligible to participate in the upcoming election. The Republican Party had been busy implementing critical legislation, including the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, and the 14th Amendment, which granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to former slaves. This period of transformative change for African Americans and their integration into U.S. society is known as the Reconstruction Era.
However, many, especially in the South, vehemently opposed these changes. Middle-class white workers feared job competition from newly freed slaves, and others were against African Americans having the same rights as whites. The tensions over how to deal with the newly freed black population were evident in the Memphis Riots and New Orleans Massacre of 1866. The heated disputes between Republicans and President Andrew Johnson were also escalating rapidly.
Andrew Johnson’s Presidency
Following Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in April 1865 by John Wilkes Booth, Andrew Johnson, the former Military Governor of Tennessee and Lincoln’s Democratic Vice President via the National Union Party, became the 17th President of the United States. Johnson took the helm during one of the most critical periods in American history, tasked with guiding the nation’s post-Civil War recovery. His approach, however, did not sit well with many, particularly the Radical Republicans—politicians who sought to eliminate any remnants of slavery in the U.S.
Rather than supporting the newly passed amendments that aided African Americans or punishing former Confederates, Johnson aimed to reintegrate all Confederate states while maintaining white supremacy within the government. He sought to pardon many Confederates and establish ‘Black Codes’ that restricted African Americans’ rights. Johnson also made it a habit to veto legislation that supported civil and equal rights for African Americans, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the Freedmen’s Bureau Bill, and the First Reconstruction Act of 1867.
In response, the Radical Republicans consistently overrode Johnson’s vetoes. The conflict reached a boiling point when Johnson repeatedly attempted to fire Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, ultimately leading to Johnson becoming the first president to face impeachment.
Johnson narrowly avoided removal from office by just one vote, cast by Kansas Senator Edmund Ross, who reportedly used his leverage to gain favors and possibly even received a slush fund from Johnson’s supporters. Although Johnson was acquitted, his reputation was severely damaged, impacting his chances in the upcoming election. Now, let’s take a look at the candidates nominated for the election of 1868
Seymour for President
Despite his ambitions, Andrew Johnson stood little chance of securing the Democratic Party’s nomination, given the impeachment trial and his refusal to support the Confederates during the Civil War. Other potential candidates included Salmon Chase, George Pendleton, Thomas Hendricks, and Winfield Scott Hancock. However, the name that emerged was that of Democratic Convention Chairman and former New York Governor Horatio Seymour, who was initially reluctant to run.
During the Democratic National Convention, more and more delegates began supporting Seymour, despite his repeated refusals. Ultimately, Seymour reluctantly accepted the nomination. The delegates also nominated former Representative and Civil War hero Francis Blair as Seymour’s running mate. The Democratic platform for this election centred on opposing the Reconstruction laws, advocating for the reintegration of Confederate states, and supporting the use of ‘Greenbacks’—currency not backed by gold or silver.
War Hero Turned Nominee
The Republicans, now abandoning the National Union Party since the war had ended, nominated Ulysses S. Grant, the Union general who led them to victory. Witnessing the divisions between Johnson and the Republicans over legislation to aid newly freed African Americans, Grant and his running mate, Schuyler Colfax, Speaker of the House from Indiana, ran on a platform emphasizing that the sacrifices of the Civil War should not be in vain. The GOP campaigned under the slogan “Let Us Have Peace,” supporting Black suffrage in the South, open immigration, infrastructure spending, and various other Reconstruction policies.
Dirty Campaigning and Party Platforms
Both parties engaged in vicious and derogatory attacks. Republicans questioned Seymour’s mental fitness, pointing to his father’s suicide and implying that Seymour might do the same under the stress of the presidency. They also highlighted Seymour’s role in the New York City Draft Riots and his attempts to avoid military service during the Civil War.
Democrats retaliated by accusing Grant of being a drunkard, unfit to serve as president. They also brought up Grant’s controversial General Order No. 11, which expelled Jews from his military district during the war. Although Grant apologized for the order, the accusation still tarnished his reputation.
Seymour’s campaign was marred by overt racism, with slogans declaring the Democrats as the party of white people and decrying the Republicans as the party of African Americans. His running mate, Francis Blair, exacerbated the situation with inflammatory speeches claiming that African Americans were a threat to white women. The Democrats even adopted the slogan, “This is a white man’s country, let a white man rule”—a stark contrast to the election 140 years later when Barack Obama would become the first African American president, elected under the Democratic Party. As a result, many Northern Democrats and newly freed slaves voted for Grant instead of Seymour.
The Election of 1868 Results
As seen in the electoral map, Ulysses S. Grant became the 18th president of the United States, winning 214 electoral votes compared to Seymour’s 80. A candidate needed 148 electoral votes to win.
However, the popular vote was surprisingly close, with Grant receiving 52.7% and Seymour 47.3%, a mere 5.4% difference. The inability of many Confederate states to vote due to their delayed reintegration into the Union, combined with the crucial fact that newly freed African Americans could vote and largely supported the Republicans, ultimately secured Grant’s victory. Thus, the election of 1868 ended with the Republicans back in the White House and Union General Ulysses S. Grant in charge. But as we’ll see in the next article, Grant’s presidency had its own set of challenges.
