The 1876 Republican National Convention was a presidential nominating convention held at the Exposition Hall in Cincinnati, Ohio on June 14–16, 1876. President Ulysses S. Grant had considered seeking a third term, but with various scandals, a poor economy and heavy Democratic gains in the House of Representatives that led many Republicans to repudiate him, he declined to run. The convention resulted in the nomination of Governor Rutherford B. Hayes of Ohio for president and Representative William A. Wheeler of New York for vice president.
The Republican ticket of Hayes and Wheeler went on to lose the popular vote to Democrats Samuel J. Tilden and Thomas A. Hendricks in the election of 1876, but won the electoral vote after a controversy which was allegedly resolved by the Compromise of 1877.
Overview The convention was called to order by Republican National Committee chairman Edwin D. Morgan. Theodore M. Pomeroy served as the convention's temporary chairman and Edward McPherson served as permanent president.
The principal candidates at the convention included Senator James G. Blaine of Maine, the former Speaker of the House; Senator Oliver P. Morton of Indiana; Secretary of the Treasury Benjamin H. Bristow of Kentucky; Senator Roscoe Conkling of New York; Governor Rutherford B. Hayes of Ohio; and Governor John F. Hartranft of Pennsylvania. James Russell Lowell, well-known poet and a professor at Harvard College, spoke on behalf of Hayes.
Two candidates, Benjamin Bristow and Marshall Jewell of Connecticut, were serving as Cabinet members in the Grant administration.
Presidential nomination Presidential candidates
Blaine led after the first ballot, but had only 285 of the 378 delegates required to secure the nomination. Morton, Bristow, and Conkling each had around 100 delegates, while Hayes and Hartranft each had around 60. The second, third, and fourth ballots saw similar results, but Hayes began to surge on the fifth ballot, passing Morton and Conkling to secure third place after Blaine and Bristow. The sixth ballot saw Blaine rise to 308, but, with the other candidates fading, Hayes continued his surge, moving into second place. After the sixth ballot, the Bristow, Conkling, Morton, and Hartranft supporters withdrew their candidates' names from consideration, leaving Hayes as the sole focus of opposition to Blaine. With the other candidates gone, Hayes won a narrow majority on the seventh ballot and secured the nomination.
Presidential Ballot Ballot1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7thHayes 61646768104113384Blaine 285296293292286308351Bristow 11311412112611411121Morton 12412011310895850Conkling 9993908482810Hartranft 5863687169500Jewell 11000000Washburne 0113340Wheeler 3322220Not Voting 2212120
Presidential Balloting / 3rd Day of Convention (June 16, 1876)
Vice Presidential nomination Vice Presidential candidates
Five names were presented to the convention for the vice presidential nomination. Stewart L. Woodford of New York withdrew his own name from consideration as it was not done at his suggestion.
Representative William A. Wheeler of New York was thirteen votes shy of a majority on a partial first ballot when the rules were suspended so that he could be nominated by acclamation. Wheeler defeated Frederick T. Frelinghuysen of New Jersey, Marshall Jewell and Joseph R. Hawley of Connecticut for the nomination.
Vice Presidential Ballot Ballot 1st (Partial Roll-Call)Wheeler 366Frelinghuysen 89Jewell 86Woodford 70Hawley 25Not Called 120
Vice Presidential Balloting / 3rd Day of Convention (June 16, 1876)
See also History of the United States Republican Party List of Republican National Conventions United States presidential nominating convention 1876 United States presidential election 1876 Democratic National Convention
References
External links Republican Party Platform of 1876 at The American Presidency Project Proceedings of the Republican National Convention, Held at Cincinnati, Ohio, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, June 14, 15, and 16, 1876