Election of Lincoln

If you think the election is heated now.  Think about what it must of been like in 1860 when Lincoln was first elected President.  The Union was slowly unraveling and people had such different paths in mind for our country.  So different they were about to go to war against each other.  It must have been quite a scary time.  Communication was limited and not unlike today often communication was slanted towards one group or another.

 Did you know that not one southern state voted for Abraham Lincoln our first Republican President?  Lincoln was elected with only 40% of the electoral vote.  Lincoln's Vice President in his first term was Hannibal Hamlin.  Andrew Johnson was the VP in his second term.  Johnson was originally a member of the Democratic party but later joined the National Union Party(republican).

Andrew Johnson

Election Fever

 The first United States election took place in 1788 -1789 after the constitution was ratified.  Originally each elector cast two votes.  Whoever received votes from the most electors, became president, and the runner-up became vice-president. Basically, Washington ran unopposed.  All 69 electors cast one vote for Washington. John Adams received 34, the second most votes, becoming vice-president.

 Only ten states casted votes in this election.  There were two political parties Federalist and Anti-Federalist(who were against a strong federal government).

Vice Presidential Candidates

Federalist candidates

• John Adams, former Minister to Great Britain from Massachusetts
• John Jay, U.S. Secretary of Foreign Affairs from New York
• John Rutledge, former Governor of South Carolina
• John Hancock, Governor of Massachusetts
• Samuel Huntington, Governor of Connecticut
• Benjamin Lincoln, former U.S. Secretary of War from Massachusetts

Anti-Federalist candidates

• George Clinton, Governor of New York
• Edward Telfair, former Governor of Georgia

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