1844 Mormon National Convention

1844 Mormon 250px July 13, 1844 Baltimore, Maryland none none 1844 Mormon National Convention was held July 12, 1844 in Baltimore, Maryland. A presidential nominating convention called for by the Mormon Church for the purposes of nationally nominating the presidential campaign of its founder Joseph Smith, it met without selecting a nominee due to Smith having been killed two weeks before the convention. Prior to his death, Smith had been nominated in May 17 at a Illinois state convention in Nauvoo. Holding a national convention in Baltimore was hoped to generate a perception that the party was of similar importance as other national tickets that were holding their national conventions in Baltimore that year. Background Joseph Smith 1844 presidential campaign Mormonism founder Joseph Smith launched a campaign for president in the 1844 United States presidential election. The Quorum of the Twelve had voted to have Mormons nominate Smith for president.Joseph Smith’s 1844 Campaign for United States President https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/joseph-smiths-1844-campaign-for-united-states-president?lang=eng Church of Jesus Christ June 5, 2026 en Smith, at the time, was mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois. An informal political caucus was held January 29, 1844, inside of the mayor's office in Nauvoo, featuring the Quorum of the Twelve and others, during which it was moved and voted, "we will have an independent electoral ticket, and that Joseph Smith be a candidate for the next Presidency; and that we use all honorable means in our power to secure his election". Smith published a campaign platform pamphlet that was first publicly read on February. His candidacy was reported upon by the Nauvoo Neighbor on February 14.Joseph Smith's Presidential Campaign https://mormonr.org/qnas/4pB28/joseph_smiths_presidential_campaign Mormonr June 28, 2026 en On March 11, a secret but official organization known as the "General Council" (also known as the "Council of Fifty") was formed, which appears to have thereafter become the main steering body for Smith's presidential campaign.Poll Richard D. Joseph Smith's Presidential Platform: Joseph Smith and the Presidency, 1844 Dialogue Journal 3 3 https://www.dialoguejournal.com/articles/joseph-smiths-presidential-platform-joseph-smith-and-the-presidency-1844/ June 28, 2026 At a meeting on April 9, the church's ecclesiastical leaders had called for state conventions to be held in all states both for the purposes of nominating Smith for state ballots and selecting electors for a later national convention. On March 4, Smith had written in his journals of intending to have James Arlington Bennett serve as his vice presidential running mate on the ticket, but on March 8 Willard Richards informed Smith of his inaccurate belief that Bennett would not qualify to serve as vice president. That same day, Mormonism's First Presidency and the Twelve had Wilford Woodruff write to Solomon Copeland to ask him to be Smith's running mate. On March 21, the Council of Fifty approved of Woodruff's letter to Copeland inviting him to be Smith's running mate. Copeland declined.Solomon Copeland – Biography https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/person/solomon-copeland 2021-07-17 www.josephsmithpapers.org 2021-07-17 https://web.archive.org/web/20210717210158/https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/person/solomon-copeland live The Council of Fifty instead chose Sidney Rigdon on May 6 to be Smith's running mate. May 17 Illinois state nominating convention in Nauvoo An Illinois state nominating convention was held May 17, 1844 in Nauvoo, Illinois, during which Smith was formally nominated for president and Sidney Rigdon was formally nominated for vice president. The convention also selected delegates to attend the ticket's national convention, to be held in Baltimore, Maryland. Nauvoo was the main center of Mormonism at the time. Few were in attendance at the convention from outside of Nauvoo and the immediate surrounding area of Hancock County, Illinois, which organizers blamed on "heavy rains" making travel from other counties "entirely impossible". At the Illinois state convention, Smith was nominated for president, and a list of delegates (from various states) selected to serve at the upcoming national convention was announced. Despite a number of delegates named at there meeting being named to represent states besides Illinois at the convention, these were actually individuals that had relocated from other states Nauvoo. Two of the speakers at the state convention were non-Mormon supporters of Smith. + Announced as delegates selected for national conventionPark Benjamin The Mormon National Convention, 1844 https://earlyamericanists.com/2016/08/17/the-mormon-political-convention-1844/ The Junto June 5, 2026 en August 17, 2016Volume 6 Chapter 18 - History of the Church Volume 6 https://byustudies.byu.edu/online-book/history-of-the-church-volume-6/volume-6-chapter-18 byustudies.byu.edu June 28, 2026 Name State County J. Hawae Alabama Capt. Hathaway Arkansas A. Johnson Connecticut Middlesex E. M. Sanders Delaware E. F. Sheets Abraham Williams Georgia A. Badlock Illinois Jo Daviess S. Brown Brown Johnathan Browning Adams G. W. Goforth St. Clair W. Green W. B. Idle Sangamon F. Merryweather J. Myers. Esq. Adams W. W. Phelps Hancock Ebenezer Robinson J. Sene Adams Henry G. Sherwood John Taylor L. Wight Crawford J. C. Wright Scott Mr. Hunt Indiana Switzerland D. J. Patton Iowa J. Houston Kentucky Madison Hosea Stout Mercer L. B. Lewis Massachusetts Willard Richards Berkshire Col. Cowan Maine Oxford L. N. Scovil Maryland Dr. Shenask Michigan J. A. Mikesell Missouri J. Harman Mississippi Monroe Mr. Palman J. S. Swiss New Hampshire E. Dougherty New Jersey Essex J. Horner Monmouth Thomas Atkins Burlington W. Richardson Burlington J. M. Bernhisel New York Mr. Dorlan Kings L. R. Foster New York Hugh Herinshaw Westchester William Miller Livingston S. A. Perry E. Reece Erie John Reid E. Swakhammer New York E. Thompson Younger Maccauslin North Carolina Randolph Dusten Arne Ohio C. Brooks Lake J. Coltrin Cuyahoga W. W. Dryer Lorain Thomas Martin Hamilton W. G. Ware Hamilton Edwin D. Woolley Columbiana P. Bowen Pennsylvania Chester E. Hunter Chester J. H. Newton Philadelphia W. Smith Philadelphia Dr. L. Richards Rhode Island Providence Melvin WilburMelvin Wilbur Church History Biographical Database https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/chd/individual/melvin-wilbur-1801?lang=eng history.churchofjesuschrist.org/chd/individual/melvin-wilbur-1801 June 6, 2026 Randolph AlexanderRandolph Alexander Church History Biographical Database https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/chd/individual/randolph-alexander-1802?lang=x history.churchofjesuschrist.org June 6, 2026 South Carolina Union M. Anderson Tennessee Rutherford J. Hatch Vermont J. Houston W. Vanaudell Virginia William G. Ware, listed as an Ohio delegate, had recently relocated from Ohio to Nauvoo at the time of the state convention and participated in the convention.William G. Ware – Biography https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/person/william-g-ware Joseph Smith June 6, 2026 en In June, Ware (as a citizen of Nauvoo) signed a complaint against Smith and others over the riot that resulted in the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor, contributing to Smith being tried in court.18 Legally Suppressing the Nauvoo Expositor in 1844 - Sustaining the Law: Joseph Smith’s Legal Encounters https://byustudies.byu.edu/online-book/sustaining-the-law/legally-suppressing-the-nauvoo-expositor-in-1844 BYUstudies.byu.edu June 6, 2026 Other state conventions A Massachusetts state convention was organized, held on July 1, by which time Smith had already been killed.Joseph Smith’s Presidential Campaign – Joseph Smith Jr and Emma Hale Smith Historical Society https://josephsmithjr.org/joseph-smiths-presidential-campaign/ josephsmithjr.org June 28, 2026 At the Massachusetts state convention, Brigham Young appointed delegates to the Baltimore convention.Robertson Margaret The Campaign and the Kingdom: The Activities of the Electioneers in Joseph Smith's Presidential Campaign https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol39/iss3/8/ BYU Studies June 28, 2026 July 1, 2000 Both the Massachusetts state convention and a state convention in Tennessee turned into riots.Gayler, G. The Mormons and Politics in Illinois: 1839–1844 Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society 1 April 1956 49 1 48–66 40189482 Ezra T. Benson and Norton Jacob reported on appointing delegates to attend state conventions in New Jersey and Michigan. National convention logistics It was decided to hold the Mormon national convention in Baltimore, Maryland, because in 1844 that city was also to host the Democratic and Whig national conventions, and the meeting of the third-party "[John] Tyler Party". It was hoped that by staging a similar convention, the Mormons could produce the impression that their ticket was of similar importance to the leading political forces. Two weeks prior to the convention, Smith was killed by a mob on June 27, while awaiting trial. Several delegates had already arrived in Baltimore in advance of the convention before word of Smith's death had yet to reach the city.The Mormon Tragedy https://www.newspapers.com/image/1065741852 Newspapers.com subscription Niles National Register June 28, 2026 7 July 13, 1844 National convention proceedings The national convention convened as scheduled on July 13, in low spirits due to Smith's murder. It was decided that, in light of Smith's deaths, the convention should not nominated a ticket.The Mormon Convention https://www.newspapers.com/image/1061423127 Newspapers.com subscription The Springfield Daily Republican June 28, 2026 3 July 18, 1844 Without a candidate to nominate, the convention adjourned sine die without making a nomination. References Mormon National Convention Category:United States presidential nominating conventions in Baltimore Reform Party nominating Mormon National Convention Category:19th century in Baltimore Category:Joseph Smith