The 1868 Democratic National Convention was held at Tammany Hall in New York City. Although Horatio Seymour of New York was nominated as the candidate for President, he stood virtually no chance of defeating the hero of the Civil War, Republican candidate Ulysses S. Grant. The Republican candidate for Vice-President was Schuyler Colfax of Indiana. Francis P. Blair, Jr. of Missouri was the Democratic candidate for Vice-President.

In the election of 1868, the Democratic nominee received 33 electoral votes from his home State of New York, and 47 electoral votes from other places. General Grant received electoral 214 votes. The Democrats carried only eight states.

New attendees

The most memorable occurrences at the convention were the return of politicians from the defeated, war-ravaged southern States. In attendance was Robert Barnwell Rhett of Louisiana (formerly of South Carolina) who had been one of the strongest advocates of secession.

In 1868, the States of Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana were readmitted to the Union. Nebraska had been admitted to the Union on March 1, 1867.

References

• Gillet, Democracy in the United States, (New York, 1868)
• Official proceedings of the National Democratic convention, held at New York, July 4-9, 1868