The 1848 United States presidential election was the 16th quadrennial presidential election. General Zachary Taylor of the Whig Party defeated Senator Lewis Cass of the Democratic Party. Taylor won a plurality of the popular vote and a majority of the electoral vote. Millard Fillmore, a New York Whig known for his moderate views on slavery, was nominated for vice-president. The contest was the first presidential election that took place on the same day in every state, and the first time that Election Day was statutorily a Tuesday.
About 1848 United States presidential election in brief
The 1848 United States presidential election was the 16th quadrennial presidential election. General Zachary Taylor of the Whig Party defeated Senator Lewis Cass of the Democratic Party. President James K. Polk, a Democrat, honored his promise not to seek re-election, leaving his party’s nomination open. Taylor won a plurality of the popular vote and a majority of the electoral vote, a strong showing for a third party candidate. Millard Fillmore, a New York Whig known for his moderate views on slavery, was nominated for vice-president. The contest was the first presidential election that took place on the same day in every state, and the first time that Election Day was statutorily a Tuesday. It was the second of two Whigs to win a presidential election, following William Henry Harrison’s victory in the 1840 presidential election; like Harrison, Taylor died during his term, and he was succeeded by Fillmore. Van Buren broke from his party to lead the ticket of the Free Soil Party, which opposed the extension of slavery into the territories. The Whig choice of Taylor was made almost out of desperation; he was not clearly committed to Whig principles, but he was popular for leading the war effort. The Democrats had a record of prosperity and had acquired the Mexican cession and parts of Oregon country, it appeared almost certain that they would win unless the Whigs picked Taylor. The 1848 Democratic National Convention rejected former President Martin van Buren’s bid for a second term, instead nominating Senator LewisCass of Michigan.
Cass held a wide lead on all four ballots, only being denied victory on the third due to the convention rules stipulating that the votes of the absent New York delegates still counted towards the required two-thirds majority. He had long been suspected of pro-South leanings, and future Confederate President Jefferson Davis had made few public statements on the matter, though he had made a few public appearances on his own behalf. The election was held on Tuesday, November 7, 1848, with the vote taking place on a Tuesday for the first and only time in the history of the U.S. presidential elections. The vote was also the first to be held on a day that was the same as Election Day, and it was the last to take place on November 14, 1849. The winner of the election was chosen by a popular vote, with Taylor receiving 171 delegate votes to defeat Henry Clay, Winfield Scott, Daniel Webster and others. The race for the White House was decided on the fourth ballot, with Cass garnering 169 delegates to defeat five other candidates, including future Vice-President William R. King and William O. Butler. The next day, the winner was announced, and Taylor was sworn in as the new president of the United States on November 15. The general election took place in New York City on November 16, 1847. The final vote was held in Washington, D.C. on November 17, 1846.
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