The Constitutional Union Party: Preserving Unity And Compromise

The Constitutional Union Party was an American political party that stood in the 1860 United States elections. It was formed in 1859 by conservative former Whigs and members of the nativist Know-Nothing Party. The party aimed to rally support for the Union and the Constitution, ignoring sectional issues like slavery. The Constitutional Union Party's platform was to recognize no political principle other than the Constitution of the country, the Union of the states, and the Enforcement of the Laws. The party sought to appeal to border states and prevent the secession of the Southern states, but ultimately collapsed at the start of the Civil War.

Explore related products

Address of the national executive committee of the Constitutional union party to the people of the United States

$10.65

Address of the National Executive Committee of the Constitutional Union Party to the People of the United States... Volume 1

$15.4

John Bell's Record (Classic Reprint)

$20.72

Bell Election Of 1860 Nsupporters Of The Constitutional Union Party Presidential Nominee John Bell Campaigning During The Election Of 1860 Wood Engraving French 1860 Poster Print by (18 x 24)

$31.68

Campaign banner for Constitutional Union party presidential candidate John Bell and running mate Edward Everett The banner consists of a printed thirty-three star American flag pattern with an oval bu

$28.18

Speech of J. Thomas Stevenson, of Boston. Delivered at Worcester, Sept. 12, 1860

$10.65

The Constitutional Union Party was formed in 1859 by former Whigs and members of the Know-Nothing Party

The Constitutional Union Party was a political party that stood in the 1860 United States elections. It was formed in 1859 by former Whigs and members of the Know-Nothing Party, also known as the American Party. The party nominated John Bell of Tennessee for president and Edward Everett of Massachusetts for vice president.

The Constitutional Union Party mostly consisted of conservative former Whigs from the Southern United States. The Whig Party collapsed in the 1850s due to a series of crises over slavery. Many former Whigs joined the new, anti-slavery Republican Party, but others joined the nativist American Party. However, the American Party declined after the 1856 elections, and some of its members, refusing to join the Democratic Party, formed the Opposition Party.

The Constitutional Union Party campaigned on a platform of supporting the Union and the Constitution without regard to sectional issues, particularly the issue of slavery. This platform appealed to border states, where the party won 39 electoral votes. The party sought to deny any one candidate a majority in the Electoral College, forcing a contingent election in the House of Representatives.

The Constitutional Union Party had its roots in the sectional crises of the 1850s, which shook up partisan alignments in the South. The Compromise of 1850 led to elections in the Lower South being contested by Unionists and extremist "Fire-Eaters" rather than the traditional Whigs and Democrats. The victory of pro-compromise Southern politicians, along with President Millard Fillmore's enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Clause, temporarily eased Southern calls for secession. However, the debate over the Kansas-Nebraska Act polarized legislators along sectional lines once again.

The party aimed to support the Union and the Constitution, ignoring sectional issues like slavery

The Constitutional Union Party was a political party that stood in the 1860 United States elections. The party's main aim was to support and maintain the Union and the Constitution, without taking a position on sectional issues like slavery.

The party was formed in 1859, largely by conservative former Whigs from the South who wanted to avoid secession over slavery and refused to join either the Republican or Democratic Party. The Whigs had collapsed in the 1850s due to crises over slavery, and while many former Whigs joined the anti-slavery Republican Party, others were opposed to its platform. The Constitutional Union Party's platform was simple: "to recognize no political principle other than the Constitution of the country, the Union of the states, and the Enforcement of the Laws". They did not want to take sides on divisive issues, and instead focused solely on supporting the Union and the Constitution.

The party's supporters were mostly located in the Southern states, particularly in slave states that bordered free states. The party appealed to these border states because it ignored the slavery issue, and its candidates, John Bell for president and Edward Everett for vice president, carried Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. The party also drew support from conservative former Whigs in the North, such as Edward Everett and Robert Charles Winthrop, who were followers of the late Whig senator Daniel Webster.

The Constitutional Union Party's refusal to take a stand on sectional issues like slavery was both a strength and a weakness. It allowed them to appeal to voters in border states and disperse the 1860 vote sufficiently to ensure the election of the Republican candidate, Abraham Lincoln. However, it also limited their support and prevented them from generating adequate backing beyond the border states. Ultimately, the party collapsed by the start of the Civil War, unable to maintain its position of neutrality on the slavery issue.

The party's platform appealed to border states, winning 39 electoral votes

The Constitutional Union Party was a political party that stood in the 1860 United States elections. It was formed in 1859 by former Whigs and members of the Know-Nothing Party. The party consisted mostly of conservative former Whigs from the Southern United States who wanted to avoid secession over slavery and refused to join either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. The party nominated John Bell of Tennessee for president and Edward Everett of Massachusetts for vice president.

The party's platform was to "recognize no political principle other than the Constitution of the country, the Union of the states, and the Enforcement of the Laws". In attempting to ignore the slavery issue, the platform appealed to border states, where the party won 39 electoral votes. The Constitutional Union Party's support for the Union and the Constitution without regard to sectional issues attracted voters in these states.

The party's leaders did not expect to win the election outright but sought to win states in the Upper South and the Lower North. They focused on Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The Constitutional Unionists aimed to deny an electoral vote majority to any one candidate, forcing a contingent election in the House of Representatives.

The 1860 election consisted of two campaigns. In the North, Republican nominee Abraham Lincoln competed with Northern Democratic candidate Stephen A. Douglas, while in the South, Bell competed with Southern Democratic candidate John C. Breckinridge. Lincoln ultimately won the election by winning nearly every Northern electoral vote. The Constitutional Union Party's appeal in the border states contributed to Lincoln's victory by dispersing the vote in the South.

Explore related products

Bell Election Of 1860 Nsupporters Of The Constitutional Union Party Presidential Nominee John Bell Campaigning During The Election Of 1860 Wood Engraving French 1860 Poster Print by (24 x 36)

$49.44

Campaign banner for Constitutional Union party presidential candidate John Bell and running mate Edward Everett The banner consists of a printed thirty-three star American flag pattern with an oval bu

$52.56

Address of the national executive committee of the Constitutional union party to the people of the U

$14.75

Constitutional Patriotism

$42 $47

To the Friends of the Union! (Classic Reprint)

$22.57

Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America (draft proposal)

$6.4 $8

Party leaders hoped to force a contingent election by preventing any candidate from gaining a majority

The Constitutional Union Party was a political party that stood in the 1860 United States elections. It was formed in 1859 and consisted of conservative former Whigs from the Southern United States and members of the Know-Nothing Party. The party aimed to avoid secession over slavery and refused to join either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. The party's platform was to "recognize no political principle other than the Constitution of the country, the Union of the states, and the Enforcement of the Laws".

The Constitutional Union Party's supporters were mostly located in the South, particularly in slave states that bordered free states. The party appealed to border states by ignoring the issue of slavery, and its presidential candidate, John Bell, carried Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Party leaders of the Constitutional Union Party did not expect to win the 1860 election outright. Instead, they sought to deny any candidate a majority in the Electoral College, forcing a contingent election in the House of Representatives. They hoped to win states in the Upper South and Lower North, including Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

The party's strategy was ultimately unsuccessful, as Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 election by securing nearly every Northern electoral vote. John Bell, the Constitutional Union Party's nominee, took only 12.6% of the nationwide popular vote. Despite their loss, Constitutional Unionists attempted to prevent a civil war through the Crittenden Compromise and the Peace Conference of 1861, but these efforts were also unsuccessful.

The party's supporters were mostly in the South, particularly in slave states bordering free states

The Constitutional Union Party was a political party that stood in the 1860 United States elections. It was formed in 1859 by former Whigs and members of the nativist Know-Nothing Party. The party's supporters were mostly in the South, particularly in slave states bordering free states.

The Constitutional Union Party's platform was to "recognize no political principle other than the Constitution of the country, the Union of the states, and the Enforcement of the Laws". The party sought to rally support for the Union and the Constitution without regard to sectional issues, including slavery. This position appealed particularly to border states, as the party ignored the slavery issue. The party's supporters included conservative former Whigs, particularly in the Upper South and Lower North.

The Constitutional Union Party's roots can be traced back to the Whig Party and the sectional crises of the 1850s. The Compromise of 1850 shook up partisan alignments in the South, with elections in the Lower South contested by Unionists and extremist "Fire-Eaters" rather than Whigs and Democrats. The victory of pro-compromise Southern politicians in these elections, along with President Millard Fillmore's enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Clause, temporarily quieted Southern calls for secession. However, the Whig Party collapsed in the 1850s due to crises over slavery, and many former Whigs joined the new anti-slavery Republican Party or the nativist American Party.

The American Party declined after the 1856 elections, and former Whigs formed the Constitutional Union Party for the 1860 elections. The party nominated John Bell of Tennessee for president and Edward Everett of Massachusetts for vice president. Bell carried the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia and finished with the second-highest vote total in the remaining slave states that held a popular vote. However, the party was unable to generate adequate support beyond the border states and collapsed by the start of the Civil War.

Frequently asked questions