The 1892 Republican National Convention was held at the Industrial Exposition Building,

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origin ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

, from June 7 to June 10, 1892. The party nominated

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 ...

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 23rd president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia–a grandson of the ninth pr ...

for re-election on the first ballot and Whitelaw Reid of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

for

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 ...

. James S. Clarkson of

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

was the outgoing chairman of the

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in ...

. J. Sloat Fassett of

was Temporary Chairman, and Governor

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in t ...

Jr. of

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

was the Permanent Chair of the convention. Harrison's Secretary of State

James G. Blaine James Gillespie Blaine (January 31, 1830January 27, 1893) was an American statesman and Republican politician who represented Maine in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1863 to 1876, serving as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representati ...

, who had resigned from the cabinet on June 4, 1892, the eve of the convention, had his name submitted for consideration by the delegates, but drew little support. Future president

barely edged out Blaine for second place among the delegates. Although successful in his bid for re-nomination, President Harrison's performance was underwhelming for an incumbent, due in part to the crushing defeat that the party had suffered in the 1890 mid-term elections. He and Reid would lose the fall 1892 election to former President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

and Adlai Stevenson. The 1892 RNC was also the first convention where women were allowed to be delegates. Therese Alberta (Parkinson) Jenkins, delegate from

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to t ...

, cast the first vote by a woman for president; Wyoming had granted full suffrage for women at statehood in 1890.

Presidential nomination

Incumbent President

Image:Pach Brothers - Benjamin Harrison.jpg,

Draft Effort candidates

Image:William McKinley by Courtney Art Studio, 1896.jpg, Image:James G. Blaine cph.3b14325.jpg,

Declined to Contest

Image:John-Sherman.jpg,

Balloting

President Harrison had proven unpopular with the party and the country. There were divisions even within the Republican party as the year 1892 began and Harrison began his re-election drive. Although no declared Republican candidate opposed Harrison, many Republicans were ready to dump the president from the ticket if an alternative emerged. Among the possible candidates spoken of were McKinley, Reed, and the aging Blaine. Fearing that the Ohio governor would emerge as a candidate, Harrison's managers arranged for McKinley to be permanent chairman of the convention in

, requiring him to play a public, neutral role. Hanna established an unofficial McKinley headquarters near the convention hall, though no active effort was made to convert delegates to McKinley's cause. Many of Blaine's old supporters encouraged him to run for the nomination. Blaine had denied any interest in the nomination months before his resignation, but some of his friends, including Senator

Matthew Quay Matthew Stanley "Matt" Quay (September 30, 1833May 28, 1904) was an American politician of the Republican Party who represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1887 until 1899 and from 1901 until his death in 1904. Quay's control ...

of Pennsylvania and James S. Clarkson, chairman of the

, took it for false modesty and worked for his nomination anyway. When Blaine resigned from the cabinet, his boosters were certain that he was a candidate. However, Blaine, sent word he did not want to be considered. After the balloting commenced, McKinley objected to delegate votes being cast for him. Despite the efforts to draft McKinley and Blaine, the majority of the party stood by the incumbent. Harrison was re-nominated on the first ballot. File:1892RepublicanPresidentialNomination1stBallot.png, Source
US President - R Convention

Our Campaigns
'. (January 8, 2010). Source

Our Campaigns
'. (September 7, 2009).

Vice Presidential nomination

Vice President

Levi Morton Levi Parsons Morton (May 16, 1824 – May 16, 1920) was the 22nd vice president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He also served as United States ambassador to France, as a U.S. representative from New York, and as the 31st Governor of Ne ...

was dumped from the ticket, as Harrison was not particularly fond of Morton, who was closer to Blaine supporters. Morton was replaced by Ambassador Whitelaw Reid of New York. This was also the first, and so far only, time in U.S. political history where the presidential and vice presidential nominees were both graduates from the same university: Harrison and Reid were graduates of Miami University located in Oxford, Ohio.

Republican Party Platform

The Republican platform supported high tariffs,

bimetallism Bimetallism, also known as the bimetallic standard, is a monetary standard in which the value of the monetary unit is defined as equivalent to certain quantities of two metals, typically gold and silver, creating a fixed rate of exchange betw ...

, stiffer immigration laws, free rural mail delivery, and a canal across Central America. It also expressed sympathy for the

Irish Home Rule Movement The Irish Home Rule movement was a movement that campaigned for Devolution, self-government (or "home rule") for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was the dominant political movement of Irish nationalism from 1 ...

and the plight of Jews under persecution in czarist

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

.History of American Presidential Elections Volume II 1848-1896; Schlesinger; Pgs 1739-1741

References

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

Republican Party platform of 1892
at ''The American Presidency Project''
Harrison acceptance letter
at ''The American Presidency Project'' {{Authority control 1892 United States presidential election Republican National Conventions Republican National Convention, 1892 1892 in Minnesota Conventions in Minnesota 1892 conferences June 1892 events 19th century in Saint Paul, Minnesota