Candidates
1836: Representative John Quincy Adams/Representative John W. Taylor (Anti-Missouri) - 47 EVs, 19.7%
-forms in aftermath of outbreak of Missouri Crisis
-which emerged following admission of Missouri as a state after US's Wars > Luisiana War (1825-8)
-JQA, an old politician, enlisted towards cause
-does pretty well but not well enough
1840: Representative William Leggett/Fmr. Senator Thomas Morris (Equal Rights) - 0 EVs, 5.4%
-in wake of Missouri Compromise Anti-Missouri Party collapses
-most devoted faction continues on as "Equal Rights Party"
-William Leggett makes himself known as principled opponent of slavery in Congress
-his newspaper is extremely influential
-is a hard-money classical radical, but takes his radicalism towards antislavery, equal rights and v. influential at this
-also he's a New Yorker, influential as an oppositionist who refuses to merge into the new Union Party on opposition to slavery and elected to House of Representatives on that capacity
-and so gets drafted for presidential candidate by the party
-he doesn't expect to win but gets fairly respectable performance
-and many deem him responsible for Harrison's defeat
1844: Fmr. Judge William Jay/Fmr. Mayor James G. Birney (Equal Rights) - 0 EVs, 0.8%
-with Daniel Webster having antislavery bona fides and fear of making Webster lose, do less well
1848: Endorsed President Daniel Webster/Vice President James L. Petigru (Union) - 164 EVs, 51.1%
-faced with Daniel Webster having large amount of abolitionist support
-but with him having less antislavery bona fides
-and fear possibility of John C. Calhoun becoming president
-in the end convention endorses Union ticket
-major splinter led by Gerrit Smith but Webster nevertheless cruises to major victory
-however, in the end, this deemed a mistake
1852: Representative John P. Hale/Fmr. Ohio State Senator Leicester King (Equal Rights) - 1 EV, 8.6%
1856: Representative John P. Hale/ (Young America) - 0 EVs, 2.4%
1860: Representative Joshua Giddings/Representative Henry Wilson (Young America) - 5 EVs, 9.3%
1864: Senator Thomas Wilson Dorr/Governor Salmon P. Chase ("Justice"/"Free Soil"/"Northern Unionist"/"Young America") - 95 EVs, 29.8%
1865 contingent election: Thomas Wilson Dorr (94 votes); Salmon P. Chase (77 votes)
1868: Representative George Bancroft/Senator Henry Winter Davis - 171 EVs, 73.8%
1872: President Henry Winter Davis/Senator Samuel Tilden - 192 EVs, 92.2%
History
Predecessors
-Anti-Missouri Party
-Equal Rights Party
-Young America
-rebranding due to desire to expand coalition
-as well as due to influence from Mazzinian movement
-Italian Personalities > Giuseppe Mazzini being the great unifier of Italy and opponent of the Papacy noted for staunch antislavery views with broad popularity
-and has Universal Republican Associations active in northern cities which combine antislavery with a sort of godly nationalism
Party formation and victory
-formed by two major elements: northern unionists and defecting northern populists
-with 1864 election, crisis over Buenaventura's Wars > Buenaventuran War of Independence (1864-7) kicking off results in permanent division of Union Party into proslavery and antislavery parties
-they also join up with other antislavery groups
-nominate great Webster Unionist - American Personalities > Thomas Wilson Dorr
-name taken from minor party
-due to party registration being harder due to "english ballot" implemented in some states
-and so it has to go on presidential ticket through taking over existing party apparatuses
-in particular New York, where a minor anti-rent "Justice Party" merged in on free soil grounds
-coalition initially buckles, but then woodward's attempts to acquire texas, kansas opened up to slavery, slave free transit assured, strengthens union
-many northerners being volunteers on side of buenaventura further worsens tensions
-in 1866 midterms coalition surges in the polls, successfully nominates oppositionist as speaker of house of representatives
-constant fighting with woodward and his doughface agenda results in party increasingly becoming organized
-holds convention in 1868, nominates moderate ticket that wins
-but still results in constitutional crisis, then civil war in defence of republican institutions
-party becomes progressively more radical over course of civil war, supports racial equality
-results in radical reconstruction, which is ultimately successful but long process
-48 years of justicialist dominance over presidency ensue (1868-1916)
-spearheads development of political machines, both in south and north (with migrating black people)
-grows into party of business, trusts etc.
-opposition to it grows and grows in form of agrarian and labour parties