1872 Democratic National Convention

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1872 Democratic National Convention

1872 Presidential Election
Nominees Greeley and Brown
Convention
Date(s)	July 9-July 10
City	Baltimore, Maryland
Venue	Ford's Grand Opera House
Candidates
Presidential Nominee	Horace Greeley of New York
Vice Presidential Nominee	B. Gratz Brown of Missouri
‹ 1868  ·  1876 ›
v · d · e

Interior of Ford's Grand Opera House of Baltimore during the 1872 convention

The 1872 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention held at Ford's Opera House in Baltimore, Maryland on July 9, 1872. It resulted in the nomination of Horace Greeley and B. Gratz Brown for President and Vice-President of the United States, a ticket first nominated by the Liberal Republican Party.

The convention was called to order by Democratic National Committee chairman August Belmont. Thomas Jefferson Randolph served as the convention's temporary chairman and James R. Doolittle served as permanent president. At six hours in length, stretched over two days, the convention was the shortest major political party convention in history.^[1]

Accepting the Liberal platform meant the Democrats had accepted the New Departure, rejecting the anti-Reconstruction platform of 1868. They realized to win they had to look forward, and not try to refight the Civil War.^[2] Also, they realized they would only split the anti-Grant vote if they nominated a candidate other than Greeley. However, Greeley's long reputation as the most aggressive attacker of the Democratic party, its principles, its leadership, and its activists cooled enthusiasm for the nominee.

The ticket lost to incumbent President Republican Ulysses S. Grant and Republican vice presidential nominee Henry Wilson in the election of 1872. Greeley died before the electoral votes were cast.

Candidates

• Horace Greeley, former U.S. representative from New York
• Jeremiah S. Black, former U.S. Secretary of State from Pennsylvania
• James A. Bayard, former U.S. senator from Delaware
• William S. Groesbeck, former U.S. representative from Ohio

Candidates gallery

• 

  Former Representative Horace Greeley of New York

• 

  Former Secretary of State Jeremiah S. Black of Pennsylvania

• 

  Former Senator James A. Bayard of Delaware

The Balloting

See also

• History of the United States Democratic Party

References

• Official proceedings of the National Democratic convention, held at Baltimore, July 9, 1872