1856 Presidential Election

November 4, 1856 · Civil War & Reconstruction · 296 electoral votes, 149 to win

The new Republican Party's first campaign carried eleven free states behind Frémont, while Buchanan won on Southern solidity plus Pennsylvania. Fillmore's Know Nothings took a fifth of the vote, the high-water mark of organized nativism.

Elected

James Buchanan

Democratic

Electoral vote

174 of 296

Popular vote

45.3%

1,836,072 votes

Turnout

79.4%

The result

Sort by

James Buchanan

Democratic · 45.30% of votes

174

electoral votes

Millard Fillmore

Know Nothing · 21.60% of votes

electoral votes

John C. Frémont

Republican · 33.10% of votes

—

electoral votes


James Buchanan	Democratic	John C. Breckinridge	174	1,836,072	45.30%	19
Millard Fillmore	Know Nothing	Andrew Jackson Donelson	8	873,053	21.60%	1
John C. Frémont	Republican	William L. Dayton	—	1,342,345	33.10%	11

4,051,470 votes recorded for the candidates listed.

Results by state

Sort by

Alabama

James Buchanan · 62.1% · runner-up Millard Fillmore 37.9%

electoral votes

Arkansas

James Buchanan · 67.1% · runner-up Millard Fillmore 32.9%

electoral votes

California

James Buchanan · 48.4% · runner-up Millard Fillmore 32.8%

electoral votes

Connecticut

John C. Frémont · 53.2% · runner-up James Buchanan 43.6%

electoral votes

Delaware

James Buchanan · 54.8% · runner-up Millard Fillmore 43.0%

electoral votes

Florida

James Buchanan · 56.8% · runner-up Millard Fillmore 43.2%

electoral votes

Georgia

James Buchanan · 57.1% · runner-up Millard Fillmore 42.9%

electoral votes

Illinois

James Buchanan · 44.1% · runner-up John C. Frémont 40.2%

electoral votes

Indiana

James Buchanan · 50.4% · runner-up John C. Frémont 40.1%

electoral votes

Iowa

John C. Frémont · 48.8% · runner-up James Buchanan 50.7%

electoral votes

Kentucky

James Buchanan · 52.5% · runner-up Millard Fillmore 47.5%

electoral votes

Louisiana

James Buchanan · 51.7% · runner-up Millard Fillmore 48.3%

electoral votes


Alabama	James Buchanan	62.1%	9	Millard Fillmore · 37.9%
Arkansas	James Buchanan	67.1%	4	Millard Fillmore · 32.9%
California	James Buchanan	48.4%	4	Millard Fillmore · 32.8%
Connecticut	John C. Frémont	53.2%	6	James Buchanan · 43.6%
Delaware	James Buchanan	54.8%	3	Millard Fillmore · 43.0%
Florida	James Buchanan	56.8%	3	Millard Fillmore · 43.2%
Georgia	James Buchanan	57.1%	10	Millard Fillmore · 42.9%
Illinois	James Buchanan	44.1%	11	John C. Frémont · 40.2%
Indiana	James Buchanan	50.4%	13	John C. Frémont · 40.1%
Iowa	John C. Frémont	48.8%	4	James Buchanan · 50.7%
Kentucky	James Buchanan	52.5%	12	Millard Fillmore · 47.5%
Louisiana	James Buchanan	51.7%	6	Millard Fillmore · 48.3%
Maine	John C. Frémont	61.3%	8	James Buchanan · 35.7%
Maryland	Millard Fillmore	54.6%	8	James Buchanan · 45.0%
Massachusetts	John C. Frémont	63.6%	13	James Buchanan · 23.1%
Michigan	John C. Frémont	57.2%	6	James Buchanan · 41.5%
Mississippi	James Buchanan	59.4%	7	Millard Fillmore · 40.6%
Missouri	James Buchanan	54.4%	9	Millard Fillmore · 45.6%
New Hampshire	John C. Frémont	53.7%	5	James Buchanan · 45.7%
New Jersey	James Buchanan	47.2%	7	John C. Frémont · 28.5%
New York	John C. Frémont	46.3%	35	James Buchanan · 32.8%
North Carolina	James Buchanan	56.8%	10	Millard Fillmore · 43.2%
Ohio	John C. Frémont	48.5%	23	James Buchanan · 44.2%
Pennsylvania	James Buchanan	50.1%	27	John C. Frémont · 32.1%
Rhode Island	John C. Frémont	57.9%	4	James Buchanan · 33.7%
South Carolina	James Buchanan	—	8	—
Tennessee	James Buchanan	52.2%	12	Millard Fillmore · 47.8%
Texas	James Buchanan	66.7%	4	Millard Fillmore · 33.4%
Vermont	John C. Frémont	78.1%	5	James Buchanan · 20.9%
Virginia	James Buchanan	60.0%	15	Millard Fillmore · 40.0%
Wisconsin	John C. Frémont	55.7%	5	James Buchanan · 43.9%

The Congress it seated

35th Congress

1857–1859

Unified government

Senate

39–20 +5

Democratic control · Democratic–Republican +5 independents

House

131–94 +13

Democratic control · Democratic–Republican +13 independents