U.S. Elections

1852  1856 Presidential Election Returns  1860

Vote 1856



The Whig Party had largely disintegrated in 1856. The Democratic Party chose to nominate U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom James Buchanan, bypassing the renomination of President Franklin Pierce. This is because Pierce was largely unpopular with the American people and he did not want to be re-elected. Democrats supported the idea that states should choose slavery for themselves, although Buchanan personally opposed it. Two parties were competing to become the primary opposition to the Democratic Party. The new Republican Party, which strongly opposed the expansion of slavery into the western territories, decided to nominate former California Senator John C. Fremont. Fremont had mapped much of the west himself. Republicans opposed slavery and believed that it deserved to be ended and not to end it would lead to Civil War. Democrats claimed that Republicans were too radical. The American (or Know-Nothing) Party did not regard the issue of slavery and focused on anti-immigration and anti-Catholic politics. Former President Millard Fillmore was nominated to serve as the American Party candidate. In the end, the competition between former Whig supporters allowed James Buchanan to win a comfortable victory.

UNITED STATES VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 1,835,140 45 174
Fremont/Dayton 1,342,345 33 114
American Fillmore/Donelson 873,053 22 8
Other All Other Candidates 3,177 0 0
ALABAMA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 46,739 62 9
American Fillmore/Donelson 28,552 38 0
ARKANSAS VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 21,910 67 4
American Fillmore/Donelson 10,732 33 0
CALIFORNIA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Fremont/Dayton 20,704 19 0
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 53,342 48 4
American Fillmore/Donelson 36,195 33 0
CONNECTICUT VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Fremont/Dayton 42,717 53 6
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 34,997 44 0
American Fillmore/Donelson 2,615 3 0
DELAWARE VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Fremont/Dayton 310 2 0
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 8,004 55 3
American Fillmore/Donelson 6,275 43 0
FLORIDA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 6,358 57 3
American Fillmore/Donelson 4,833 43 0
GEORGIA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 56,581 57 10
American Fillmore/Donelson 42,439 43 0
ILLINOIS VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Fremont/Dayton 96,275 40 0
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 105,528 44 11
American Fillmore/Donelson 37,531 16 0
INDIANA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Fremont/Dayton 94,375 40 0
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 118,670 50 13
American Fillmore/Donelson 22,386 10 0
IOWA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Fremont/Dayton 45,073 49 4
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 37,568 41 0
American Fillmore/Donelson 9,669 10 0
KENTUCKY VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 74,642 53 12
American Fillmore/Donelson 67,416 47 0
LOUISIANA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 22,164 52 6
American Fillmore/Donelson 20,709 48 0
MAINE VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Fremont/Dayton 67,279 61 8
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 39,140 36 0
American Fillmore/Donelson 3,270 3 0
MARYLAND VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Fremont/Dayton 285 0 0
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 39,123 45 0
Southern Democrat Fillmore/Donelson 47,452 55 8
MASSACHUSETTS VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Fremont/Dayton 108,172 64 13
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 39,244 23 0
American Fillmore/Donelson 19,626 12 0
MICHIGAN VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Fremont/Dayton 71,762 57 6
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 52,139 42 0
American Fillmore/Donelson 1,660 1 0
MISSISSIPPI VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 35,456 59 7
American Fillmore/Donelson 24,191 41 0
MISSOURI VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 57,964 54 9
American Fillmore/Donelson 48,522 46 0
NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Fremont/Dayton 37,473 54 5
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 31,891 46 0
American Fillmore/Donelson 410 1 0
NEW JERSEY VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Fremont/Dayton 28,338 29 0
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 46,943 47 7
American Fillmore/Donelson 24,115 24 0
NEW YORK VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Fremont/Dayton 276,004 46 35
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 195,878 33 0
American Fillmore/Donelson 124,604 21 0
NORTH CAROLINA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 48,243 57 10
American Fillmore/Donelson 36,720 43 0
OHIO VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Fremont/Dayton 187,497 49 23
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 170,874 44 0
American Fillmore/Donelson 28,126 7 0
PENNSYLVANIA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Fremont/Dayton 147,286 32 0
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 230,686 50 27
American Fillmore/Donelson 82,189 18 0
RHODE ISLAND VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Fremont/Dayton 11,467 58 4
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 6,680 34 0
American Fillmore/Donelson 1,675 8 0
SOUTH CAROLINA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Buchanan/Breckinridge + No Popular Vote -- 8
TENNESSEE VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 69,704 52 12
American Fillmore/Donelson 63,878 48 0
TEXAS VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 31,169 67 4
American Fillmore/Donelson 15,639 33 0
VERMONT VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Fremont/Dayton 39,561 78 5
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 10,577 21 0
American Fillmore/Donelson 545 1 0
VIRGINIA VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 90,083 60 15
American Fillmore/Donelson 60,150 40 0
WISCONSIN VOTES PERCENT ELECTORAL VOTE
Fremont/Dayton 66,090 55 5
Buchanan/Breckinridge + 52,843 44 0
American Fillmore/Donelson 579 0 0


SYMBOLS KEY

Republican Democrat Other Other Winner
American American (Know Nothing) * Incumbent + Incumbent Party