The 1852 Democratic National Convention was a

presidential nominating convention A United States presidential nominating convention is a political convention held every four years in the United States by most of the political parties who will be fielding nominees in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. The formal purpo ...

that met from June 1 to June 5 in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. It was held to nominate the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

's candidates for

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

and

vice president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

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 The Compromise of 1850 was a package of five separate bills passed by the United States Congress in September 1850 that defused a political confrontation between slave and free states on the status of territories acquired in the Mexican–Am ...

; James Buchanan of Pennsylvania, popular in the

South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

as well as in his home state;

Stephen A. Douglas Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. A senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split Democratic Party for president in the 1860 presidential election, which wa ...

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 Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...

and

William Alexander Graham William Alexander Graham (September 5, 1804August 11, 1875) was a United States senator from North Carolina from 1840 to 1843, a senator later in the Confederate States Senate from 1864 to 1865, the 30th governor of North Carolina from 1845 to ...

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 Benjamin Franklin Hallett (December 2, 1797 – September 30, 1862) was a Massachusetts lawyer and Democratic Party activist, most notable as the first chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Benjamin Franklin Hallett was born in Barnst ...

. Romulus M. Saunders served as the temporary convention chairman and

John W. Davis John William Davis (April 13, 1873 – March 24, 1955) was an American politician, diplomat and lawyer. He served under President Woodrow Wilson as the Solicitor General of the United States and the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom ...

served as the permanent convention president. 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 The Fugitive Slave Act or Fugitive Slave Law was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern interests in slavery and Northern Free-Soilers. The Act was one of the most con ...

Presidential nomination

Dark Horse candidates

File:George Peter Alexander Healy - Franklin Pierce - Google Art Project.jpg, Former

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Franklin Pierce
of

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

Image:Henry Cruse Murphy.jpg, Former

Representative Representative may refer to: Politics * Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people * House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities * Legislator, som ...

Henry C. Murphy
of New York

Major Presidential candidates

File:Lewis Cass crop.jpg,

Lewis Cass
of

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

File:JamesBuchanan_crop.jpg, Former Secretary of State
James Buchanan
of

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

File:William Learned Marcy.jpg, Former

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

William L. Marcy
of New York File:BradyHandy-StephenADouglas restored.jpg,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

Minor Presidential candidates

Image:WilliamOButler.jpg, Former

William O. Butler William Orlando Butler (April 19, 1791 – August 6, 1880) was a U.S. political figure and U.S. Army major general from Kentucky. He served as a Democratic congressman from Kentucky from 1839 to 1843, and was the Democratic vice-presiden ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

Image:JosephLane.png, House Delegate

Joseph Lane Joseph "Joe" Lane (December 14, 1801 – April 19, 1881) was an American politician and soldier. He was a state legislator representing Evansville, Indiana, and then served in the Mexican–American War, becoming a general. President James K. ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

Image:SHouston 2.jpg,

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

Image:Henry Dodge portrait.jpg,

Henry Dodge Moses Henry Dodge (October 12, 1782 – June 19, 1867) was a Democratic member to the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, Territorial Governor of Wisconsin and a veteran of the Black Hawk War. His son, Augustus C. Dodge, served a ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

Declined

Image:Daniel Dickinson NY.jpg, Former

Daniel S. Dickinson
of New York
(Endorsed Cass)

Balloting

As Democrats convened in

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

; James Buchanan of Pennsylvania, popular in the

as well as in his home state;

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 A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, or a contestant that on paper should be unlikely to succeed but yet still might. Origin Th ...

by one vote over former New York Congressman and

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

Mayor Henry C. Murphy, and then supporting him as a unit. 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. 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 Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

, a college mate and lifelong friend of Pierce." Source:
1st Day of Presidential Balloting / 3rd Day of Convention (June 3, 1852) File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination1stBallot.png, 1st Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination2ndBallot.png, 2nd Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination3rdBallot.png, 3rd Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination4thBallot.png, 4th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination5thBallot.png, 5th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination6thBallot.png, 6th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination7th8thBallots.png, 7th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination7th8thBallots.png, 8th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination9thBallot.png, 9th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination10thBallot.png, 10th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination11thBallot.png, 11th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination12thBallot.png, 12th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination13thBallot.png, 13th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination14th15th16thBallots.png, 14th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination14th15th16thBallots.png, 15th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination14th15th16thBallots.png, 16th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination17thBallot.png, 17th Ballot
2nd Day of Presidential Balloting / 4th Day of Convention (June 4, 1852) File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination18thBallot.png, 18th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination19thBallot.png, 19th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination20thBallot.png, 20th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination21stBallot.png, 21st Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination22ndBallot.png, 22nd Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination23rdBallot.png, 23rd Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination24thBallot.png, 24th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination25thBallot.png, 25th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination26thBallot.png, 26th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination27thBallot.png, 27th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination28thBallot.png, 28th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination29thBallot.png, 29th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination30thBallot.png, 30th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination31stBallot.png, 31st Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination32ndBallot.png, 32nd Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination33rdBallot.png, 33rd Ballot
3rd Day of Presidential Balloting / 5th Day of Convention (June 5, 1852) File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination34thBallot.png, 34th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination35thBallot.png, 35th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination36thBallot.png, 36th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination37thBallot.png, 37th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination38thBallot.png, 38th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination39thBallot.png, 39th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination40th41stBallots.png, 40th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination40th41stBallots.png, 41st Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination42nd43rd44thBallots.png, 42nd Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination42nd43rd44thBallots.png, 43rd Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination42nd43rd44thBallots.png, 44th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination45thBallot.png, 45th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination46thBallot.png, 46th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination47thBallot.png, 47th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination48thBallot.png, 48th Ballot File:1852DemocraticPresidentialNomination49thBallot.png, 49th Ballot

Vice Presidential nomination

Vice Presidential candidates

File:William Rufus DeVane King 1839 portrait.jpg,

William R. King
of

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

Image:Solomon Weathersbee Downs.jpg,

Solomon W. Downs
of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

Image:John B Weller by William F Cogswell, 1879.jpg,

John B. Weller John B. Weller (February 22, 1812August 17, 1875) was the fifth governor of California from January 8, 1858 to January 9, 1860 who earlier had served as a congressman from Ohio and a U.S. senator from California, and minister to Mexico. Lif ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Image:David Rice Atchison by Mathew Brady March 1849.jpg,

David Rice Atchison David Rice Atchison (August 11, 1807January 26, 1886) was a mid-19th century Democratic United States Senator from Missouri. He served as President pro tempore of the United States Senate for six years. Atchison served as a major general in ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

Image:General Gideon Johnson Pillow.jpg,

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Gideon J. Pillow
of

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

Image:NC-Congress-RogerStrange.jpg, Former

Robert Strange
of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

Declined

Image:WilliamOButler.jpg, Former

Image:TJRusk.jpg,

Thomas J. Rusk Thomas Jefferson Rusk (December 5, 1803July 29, 1857) was an early political and military leader of the Republic of Texas, serving as its first Secretary of War as well as a general at the Battle of San Jacinto. He was later a US politician and ...

Image:President-Jefferson-Davis.jpg, Former

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

Image:Howell Cobb-crop.jpg, Former

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

Howell Cobb Howell Cobb (September 7, 1815 – October 9, 1868) was an American and later Confederate political figure. A southern Democrat, Cobb was a five-term member of the United States House of Representatives and the speaker of the House from 184 ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

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 Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

, which he believed he had contracted while living in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, 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." File:1852DemocraticVicePresidentialNomination1stBallot.png, 1st Vice Presidential Ballot File:1852DemocraticVicePresidentialNomination2ndBallot.png, 2nd Vice Presidential Ballot

References

External links

Democratic Party Platform of 1852
at ''The American Presidency Project'' {{Authority control 1852 United States presidential election 1852 in Maryland 19th century in Baltimore Political conventions in Baltimore Maryland Democratic Party Political events in Maryland Democratic National Conventions 1852 conferences June 1852 events

Convention proceedings

Presidential nomination

Dark Horse candidates

Major Presidential candidates

Minor Presidential candidates

Declined

Balloting

Vice Presidential nomination

Vice Presidential candidates

Declined

See also

References

External links