1876 Democratic National Convention

U.S. political event held in St. Louis, Missouri February 2026 January 2025 1876 Democratic DP1876.png 125 DVP1876.png 125 Nominees Tilden and Hendricks June 27–29, 1876 Merchants Exchange Building St. Louis, Missouri Samuel Tilden New York Thomas Hendricks Indiana 1872 1880 The 1876 Democratic National Convention assembled in St. Louis just nine days after the conclusion of the Republican National Convention in Cincinnati. This was the first political convention held west of the Mississippi River. St. Louis was notified in February 1876 that it had been selected. Among the events was a fireworks display from the top of the Old Courthouse. Proceedings The convention was called to order by Democratic National Committee chairman Augustus Schell. Henry Watterson served as the temporary convention chairman and John Alexander McClernand, a retired congressman and major general, served as permanent convention president. Platform The Democratic platform pledged to replace the corruption of the Grant administration with honest, efficient government and to end "the rapacity of carpetbag tyrannies" in the South; called for treaty protection for naturalized U.S. citizens visiting their homeland, restrictions on Oriental immigration, and tariff reform; and opposed land grants to railroads.William DeGregorio, The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents, Gramercy 1997 Presidential nomination Presidential candidates thumb|350px|Interior of the Merchants Exchange Building of St. Louis, Missouri, during the announcement of Samuel J. Tilden as the Democratic presidential nominee The 12th Democratic National Convention assembled in St. Louis in June 1876. Five thousand people jammed the auditorium in St. Louis, hoping for the Democrats' first presidential victory in 20 years. The platform called for immediate and sweeping reforms following the scandal-plagued Grant administration. Six names were placed in nomination: Samuel J. Tilden, Thomas A. Hendricks, Winfield Scott Hancock, William Allen, Thomas F. Bayard, and Joel Parker. Tilden won more than 400 votes on the first ballot, a strong showing, but less than the 492 required by the convention's two-thirds rule. He won the nomination by a landslide on the second ballot. Although Tilden was strongly opposed by "Honest John" Kelly, the leader of New York's Tammany Hall, he was still able to obtain the nomination. According to contemporary accounts, Tilden's nomination was received by the delegates with more enthusiasm than that of any nominee since Andrew Jackson.They Also Ran Presidential BallotCook Theodore Pease 1876 The Life and Public Services of Hon. Samuel J. Tilden https://books.google.com/books?id=R7REAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA327 New York, NY D. Appleton and Company 327 Google Books1st (Before Shifts) 1st (After Shifts) 2nd (Before Shifts) 2nd (After Shifts) UnanimousTilden 403.5410.5508534738Hendricks 133.5140.585600Hancock 777760590Allen 565654540Bayard 313111110Broadhead 195000Parker 181818180Thurman 00220 Source: Official proceedings of the National Democratic convention, held in St. Louis, Mo., June 27th, 28th and 29th, 1876. (September 3, 2012). Vice presidential nomination Vice presidential candidates thumb|200px|Tilden/Hendricks campaign poster Delegates proposed various potential candidates for vice president, including William R. Morrison of Illinois, chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means. The Ohio delegation considered nominating U.S. Representative Henry B. Payne. However, the feeling of unanimity was so great that the Ohio delegates instead seconded the nomination of Hendricks. Hendricks was the only nominee, and won the nomination nearly unanimously on the first ballot, with the only exceptions being eight abstentions from Ohio. Vice Presidential BallotCandidate1stHendricks 730Blank 8 Source: Official proceedings of the National Democratic convention, held in St. Louis, Mo., June 27th, 28th and 29th, 1876. (September 3, 2012). See also 1876 Republican National Convention List of Democratic National Conventions U.S. presidential nomination convention 1876 United States presidential election History of the United States Democratic Party References Further reading Haworth, Paul Leland. The Hayes-Tilden disputed presidential election of 1876 (1895) online. Holt, Michael F. By One Vote: The Disputed Presidential Election of 1876 (UP of Kansas, 2008). Robinson, Lloyd. The Stolen Election: Hayes versus Tilden—1876 (Macmillan, 2001) online. Primary sources Chester, Edward W A guide to political platforms (1977) pp 97–102 online 91 External links Democratic Party Platform of 1876 at The American Presidency Project Official proceedings of the National Democratic convention, held in St. Louis, Mo., June 27th, 28th and 29th, 1876 1872Baltimore, Maryland Democratic National Conventions 1880Cincinnati, Ohio Category:1876 conferences Category:1876 United States presidential election Category:1876 in Missouri Category:19th century in St. Louis Category:United States presidential nominating conventions in St. Louis Category:Missouri Democratic Party Category:Democratic National Conventions Category:June 1876 in the United States Category:19th-century political conferences Category:Tammany Hall Category:Thomas A. Hendricks Category:Samuel J. Tilden