The Election of 1868 was the first presidential contest after the Civil War. Union General Ulysses S. Grant faced former New York Governor Horatio Seymour in a battle that would determine the direction of Reconstruction and the rights of newly freed African Americans.
The Reconstruction Era
By 1865, the Civil War had ended in Union victory, but the peace was far from secure. All but three Confederate states—Texas, Mississippi, and Virginia—had rejoined the Union, and Nebraska had been admitted as a new state.
The Republican-led Congress pushed through landmark reforms, including the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery and the 14th Amendment granting citizenship and equal protection under the law to formerly enslaved people. This era of transformative change became known as Reconstruction.
But opposition was fierce. Many white Southerners resisted these changes, passing “Black Codes” to restrict freedmen’s rights. Violence and racial unrest followed, including the Memphis Riots and the New Orleans Massacre of 1866. Meanwhile, tension between President Andrew Johnson and Radical Republicans in Congress created a political showdown.
Andrew Johnson’s Presidency
After Lincoln’s assassination in April 1865, Vice President Andrew Johnson, a Southern Democrat placed on the ticket for unity, became president. But his approach alienated almost everyone.
Johnson pardoned former Confederates, undermined protections for freedmen, and repeatedly vetoed civil rights legislation such as the Freedmen’s Bureau Bill and the Civil Rights Act of 1866. Congress overrode him each time.
Matters worsened when Johnson embarked on his infamous “swing around the circle” speaking tour in 1866. His drunken rants, attacks on Congress, and comparisons of himself to Jesus Christ appalled listeners and destroyed his credibility.
In 1868, Johnson was impeached for violating the Tenure of Office Act after trying to dismiss Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. He survived removal from office by one vote, cast by Kansas Senator Edmund Ross, but his reputation was finished. Johnson’s political collapse made him a non-starter for the Democratic nomination.
Seymour for President
At the Democratic Convention, several names were floated — including Salmon Chase, George Pendleton, Thomas Hendricks, and Winfield Scott Hancock. But as balloting dragged on, attention turned to Horatio Seymour, the former Governor of New York and chairman of the convention.
Seymour initially resisted but eventually accepted the nomination, paired with Francis Blair Jr., a Civil War general. The Democratic platform rejected Reconstruction laws and endorsed “greenbacks” (paper currency not backed by gold or silver).
Seymour’s campaign leaned heavily into racism, portraying Republicans as the party of African Americans and positioning Democrats as the party of whites. Blair’s fiery speeches even warned that Black political participation would endanger white women — rhetoric that turned many moderate voters against the ticket.
Grant: War Hero Turned Candidate
The Republicans nominated Ulysses S. Grant, the commanding general who led the Union to victory. With the country still scarred by war, Grant’s candidacy symbolised national unity and stability.
Grant and his running mate, Schuyler Colfax of Indiana, ran on a platform that embraced Reconstruction, civil rights, and Black suffrage. Their campaign slogan — “Let Us Have Peace” — resonated across the North.
Grant was more than a war hero: he represented the legacy of Lincoln and the promise that the war’s sacrifices would not be in vain.
Campaign Tactics
The 1868 campaign was as bitter as any before it.
- Republicans attacked Seymour’s past, highlighting his opposition to Lincoln and his controversial role during the New York City Draft Riots of 1863. They also questioned his mental stability, pointing to his father’s suicide.
- Democrats accused Grant of being a drunkard and unfit for office. They dredged up his infamous General Order No. 11, which expelled Jews from his military district during the war, despite Grant having apologised years earlier.
Republicans framed Seymour as the candidate of rebellion and racism. Democrats doubled down on overt white supremacy, openly using slogans such as “This is a white man’s country, let a white man rule.”
The Role of the Black Vote
For the first time, newly freed African Americans participated in a presidential election, thanks to Reconstruction governments in the South. Their overwhelming support for the Republicans gave Grant a decisive edge.
Meanwhile, Union soldiers also voted heavily Republican, viewing Grant as their wartime leader and protector of their sacrifice.
Results of the 1868 Election
The Electoral College total had risen to 294 votes, with 148 needed to win.
- Ulysses S. Grant (Republican) – 214 electoral votes; 52.7% of the popular vote
- Horatio Seymour (Democrat) – 80 electoral votes; 47.3% of the popular vote
Though Grant’s Electoral College victory was a landslide, the popular vote margin was only 5.4%. This revealed how divided the nation remained. Many former Confederate states were still not fully reintegrated, limiting Democratic totals — while Black voters proved crucial to Grant’s win.
Legacy
The Election of 1868 ensured Reconstruction would continue under Republican leadership, with Grant as the 18th president of the United States. His victory cemented the political power of freedmen in the South and showed that the Republican Party could win with their support.
But the narrow popular vote also revealed that Democrats were already rebuilding their strength, particularly in the South, laying the groundwork for the coming “Solid South.”
The 1868 election followed the Election of 1864, when Lincoln secured Union victory, and led into the Election of 1872, when Grant would seek re-election amid both successes and growing scandals.