| 1856 presidential election | |
  Nominees Fillmore and Donelson | |
| Convention | |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | September 17–18, 1856 |
| City | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Venue | Maryland Institute |
| Chair | Edward Bates |
| Candidates | |
| Presidential nominee | Millard Fillmore ofNew York |
| Vice-presidential nominee | Andrew J. Donelson ofTennessee |
| Voting | |
| Total delegates | 150 |
| Votes needed for nomination | 76 |
| Results (president) | Fillmore (NY): 150 (100%) |
| Ballots | 1 |
| ‹ 1852 | |
The1856 Whig National Convention was apresidential nominating convention held from September 17 to September 18, in Baltimore, Maryland. Attended by arump group ofWhigs who had not yet left the declining party, the 1856 convention was the last presidential nominating convention held by the Whig Party. The convention nominated a ticket consisting of former presidentMillard Fillmore and former ambassadorAndrew J. Donelson; both had previously been nominated by the1856 American National Convention. The Whig ticket finished third in the1856 presidential election behind the winningDemocratic ticket ofJames Buchanan andJohn C. Breckinridge and the runner-upRepublican ticket ofJohn C. Frémont andWilliam L. Dayton.[1]
The Whig party had been declining in power for some time before its last national convention in 1856. In the1850 midterm elections, Democrats strengthened their majority as the Whigs lost 23 seats in the House and 2 seats in the Senate. In1852, the Whigs lost another 14 House seats and one Senate seat. Furthermore, they lost the1852 presidential election, their third loss in five campaigns.
A major reason for the Whig party's decline was a loss of its most influential leaders. Two of its most key founding members,Henry Clay andDaniel Webster, had both died in 1852. Whig leaders from Southern slave states joined the Democratic party. Additionally, the Whigs' New York state convention inSyracuse voted to join with the newly formedRepublican Party.
On March 10, 1856, the Whig National Committee met and voted to reject the New York Whigs' merger with the Republican party. Whig leaders from Kentucky met and held their state convention in April. There they voted to call a national convention.
In the months leading up to the national convention, Whigs met in convention in several states to select which delegates would be sent to Baltimore in September. Delegates to these state conventions debated several options for the upcoming general election: the party could choose former President Millard Fillmore as its candidate, nominate another Whig, or endorse the Democratic candidateJames Buchanan. As the state conventions met, Fillmore emerged as the clear choice.
The convention was held at the 1851 landmarkMaryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts over the old Centre ("Marsh") Market in Market Place (formerly Harrison Street) between East Baltimore Street and Water Street along South Gay Street and the west bank of theJones Falls stream through downtownBaltimore, inMaryland on September 17 and September 18, 1856. The same site had hosted the1852 Whig National Convention.
Twenty-six states out of thirty-one sent 150 delegates to the national convention in late September 1856. The convention met for only two days and on the second day (and only ballot) quickly nominated Fillmore for president, who had already been nominated for president by theKnow Nothing party.Andrew J. Donelson was nominated for vice president.
Among the delegates to the convention wasJohn Bell of Tennessee.[2]
| Candidates | |
|---|---|
| |
| Name | Millard Fillmore |
| Party | Whig |
| Certified Votes | 150 (100.00%) |
| Margin | 0 (0.00%) |
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| Life | |
| Presidency | |
| Public image | |
| Family |
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