1852 Democratic National Convention

U.S. political event held in Baltimore, Maryland February 2026 February 2026 1852 Democratic Franklin Pierce (Oval).png 125 William Rufus DeVane King (Oval).png 125 Nominees Pierce and King June 1–5, 1852 Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts Baltimore, Maryland Franklin Pierce New Hampshire William R. King Alabama 1848 1856 The 1852 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention that met from June 1 to June 5 in Baltimore, Maryland. It was held to nominate the Democratic Party's candidates for president and vice president in the 1852 election. The convention selected former Senator Franklin Pierce of New Hampshire for president and Senator William R. King of Alabama for vice president. Four major candidates vied for the presidential nomination – Lewis Cass of Michigan, the nominee in 1848, who had the backing of northerners in support of the Compromise of 1850; James Buchanan of Pennsylvania, popular in the South as well as in his home state; Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, candidate of the expansionists and the railroad interests; and William L. Marcy of New York, whose strength was centered in his home state. Cass led on the first nineteen ballots of the convention, but was unable to win the necessary two-thirds majority. Buchanan pulled ahead on the twentieth ballot, but he too was unable to win a two-thirds majority. Pierce won votes for the first time on the 35th ballot, and was nominated almost unanimously on the 49th ballot. King was nominated on the second vice presidential ballot, defeating Senator Solomon W. Downs and several other candidates. The Democratic ticket went on to win the 1852 election, defeating the Whig ticket of Winfield Scott and William Alexander Graham. Convention proceedings The convention took place at the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts and was called to order by Democratic National Committee chairman Benjamin F. Hallett.Johnson Charles W. 1852 Proceedings of the Democratic National Convention Held at Baltimore, June 1–5, 1852 http://hdl.handle.net/2027/loc.ark:/13960/t3806c46m 3 Robert Armstrong Washington, DC 2027/loc.ark:/13960/t3806c46m HathiTrust Proceedings Romulus M. Saunders served as the temporary convention chairman and John W. Davis served as the permanent convention president.Proceedings 3, 7 Delegates at the convention approved a platform that largely mimicked the one adopted in 1848. Two notable additions were the denouncement of a national bank and an endorsement of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.Havel James T. U.S. Presidential Elections and the Candidates: A Biographical and Historical Guide Simon & Schuster 1996 0-02-864623-1 2: The Elections, 1789-1992 New York 26 Presidential nomination Dark horse candidates Major presidential candidates Minor presidential candidates Declined Balloting As Democrats convened in Baltimore in June 1852, four major candidates vied for the nomination – Lewis Cass of Michigan, the nominee in 1848, who had the backing of northerners in support of the Compromise of 1850; James Buchanan of Pennsylvania, popular in the South as well as in his home state; Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, candidate of the expansionists and the railroad interests; and William L. Marcy of New York, whose strength was centered in his home state. Throughout the balloting, numerous favorite son candidates received a few votes. With a two-thirds majority required to win, Cass led on the first 19 ballots, with Buchanan second and Douglas and Marcy exchanging third and fourth places. Buchanan took the lead on the 20th ballot and retained it on each of the next nine tallies. Douglas managed a narrow lead on the 30th and 31st ballots. Cass then recaptured first place through the 44th ballot. Marcy carried the next four ballots. Franklin Pierce of New Hampshire, a former Congressman and Senator, did not get on the board until the 35th ballot, when the Virginia delegation brought him forward as a compromise choice, selecting Pierce as their dark horse by one vote over former New York Congressman and Brooklyn Mayor Henry C. Murphy, and then supporting him as a unit.Stiles Henry Reed 1883 Memoir of Hon. Henry C. Murphy, LL.D., of Brooklyn, N.Y. https://books.google.com/books?id=GZkyAQAAMAAJ&q=%22henry+c+murphy%22+1852+convention&pg=RA1-PA14 The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Volumes 13–14 14 After being nominated by the Virginia delegation, Pierce's support remained steady until the 46th ballot, when it began to increase at Cass's expense. Pierce's support was consolidated in subsequent voting, and he was nominated nearly unanimously on the 49th ballot.William DeGregorio, The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents, Gramercy 1997 According to Edward Stanwood, there was "no doubt that the nomination of General Pierce was carefully planned before the convention met. The originator of the scheme was James W. Bradbury, then a senator from Maine, a college mate and lifelong friend of Pierce."Stanwood Edward 1898 A History of the Presidency: From 1788 to 1897 https://books.google.com/books?id=qQkMAAAAIAAJ&q=James+W.+Bradbury Houghton Mifflin Company 248 Presidential Ballot1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th Cass 1161181191151141141131131121111019898999999999689816043373334 Buchanan 9395948989888888878687888887878787858592102104103103101 Marcy 27272625262626262727272726262626262526262626262626Douglas 20232131333434343940505151515151515663646477788079Butler211111111111111111111315202324Dickinson1100111111111111111111111Lane13131313131313131314131313131313131313131313131313Houston867788998889101010109119109910910Weller4000000000000000000000000Dodge3333303300000000000000000Blank9912128118888888888989888888 Presidential Ballot26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st 32nd 33rd 34th 35th 36th 37th 38th 39th 40th 41st 42nd 43rd 44th 45th 46th 47th 48th 49thPierce 0000000001530292929292929292929444955282Cass 33322827336598123130131122120107106107107101101101967875722 Buchanan 101989693917874724939282828282727272727272828280 Marcy 26262626262626253344587084858585919191979895890Douglas 80858891929280605352433433333333333333323233332 Butler242425252017111111111111111111Dickinson1111111116111111111111110Lane13131313130000000000000000000Houston1091112129865555555555555561Boyd000000000000000000000120King000000000000000000001000Ingersoll000000000000000000000010Blank888888889888888888888888 Source:Proceedings 28–50 1st Day of Presidential Balloting / 3rd Day of Convention (June 3, 1852) 2nd Day of Presidential Balloting / 4th Day of Convention (June 4, 1852) 3rd Day of Presidential Balloting / 5th Day of Convention (June 5, 1852) Vice presidential nomination Vice presidential candidates Declined thumb|right|250px|Democratic Pierce/King campaign poster In a peace gesture to the Buchanan wing of the party, Pierce's supporters allowed Buchanan's allies to fill the second position, knowing that they would select Alabama Senator William R. King, to whom Pierce had no objections. King won the nomination on the second ballot. During the ensuing campaign, King's tuberculosis, which he believed he had contracted while living in Paris, denied him the active behind-the-scenes role that he might otherwise have played, although he worked hard to assure his region's voters with the statement that New Hampshire's Pierce was a "northern man with southern principles." Vice Presidential BallotProceedings 66–671st 2ndKing 125277Downs 300Weller 280Atchison 250Pillow 250Strange 230Butler 130Rusk 130Davis 211Cobb 20Not Voting 20Not Represented 88 See also History of the Democratic Party (United States) 1852 Whig National Convention List of Democratic National Conventions U.S. presidential nomination convention 1852 United States presidential election References 2 External links Democratic Party Platform of 1852 at The American Presidency Project 1848Baltimore, Maryland Democratic National Conventions 1856Cincinnati, Ohio Category:1852 United States presidential election Category:1852 in Maryland Category:1850s in Baltimore Category:United States presidential nominating conventions in Baltimore Category:Maryland Democratic Party Category:Democratic National Conventions Category:1852 conferences Category:June 1852 Category:19th-century political conferences Category:Franklin Pierce Category:William R. King Category:James Buchanan Category:Stephen A. Douglas Category:Sam Houston