1848 U.S. Presidential Election

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The Election of 1848 presents four choices to the American people. While three of these choices all oppose slavery in some form or another, Senator Lewis Cass of Michigan seems to have the South locked down. Meanwhile, National Republican McLean, Free-Soiler Adams, and Liberty nominee Gerrit Smith are scrambling for the votes of the North. Aside from the issue of slavery, much public debate is centered around Western expansion. While Van Buren supported expansion without slavery--thus ensuring that no expansion took place--Cass and Adams both support expansion (though for Adams it mainly mirrors Van Buren's stance) while Smith and McLean are more cautious on the issue. All four candidates have their surrogates speaking across the country and hoping for the privileges of patronage. Which will you choose?

Senator Lewis Cass (D-MI)/Congressman William O. Butler (D-KY)

Supreme Court Justice John McLean (NR-OH)/New York State Comptroller Millard Fillmore (NR-NY)

Former State Senator Charles F. Adams (FS-MA)/Senator John P. Hale (FS-NH)

Gerrit T. Smith (L-NY)/Charles C. Foote (L-MI)

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I think we may be seeing a totally inexplicable collapse of traditional politics. I think this may be the end for the National Republican Party.

Historians would cite the failure by the two then-major parties to properly address the crisis of slavery.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Bumping for the final 24 hours.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

About a final hour and a half, not that the conclusion isn't predetermined. Map'll be up shortly after time runs out.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The 1848 United States Presidential Election
With both the previously relevant National Republican and Liberty parties pushed aside, the campaign became essentially a two-way race between Adams and Cass. While Adams' father and grandfather, both notable and accomplished statesmen of their time, had been denied the Presidency on multiple occasions throughout both their careers, Charles F. proved to be the one who could do it, garnering a near majority of the popular vote and a definitive electoral vote victory over Cass, who even lost crucial Southern states thanks to pluralities gained by the Free Soil ticket. This would be marked as one of the single most important and re-aligning elections of United States history.

Former State Senator Charles Francis Adams (Free Soil-Massachusetts)/Senator John P. Hale (Free Soil-New Hampshire) 204 electoral votes, 49.8% of the popular vote
Senator Lewis Cass (Democrat-Michigan)/Former Representative William O. Butler (Democrat-Kentucky) 71 electoral votes, 20.2% of the popular vote
Mr. Gerrit Smith (Liberty-New York)/Mr. Charles C. Foote (Liberty-Michigan) 0 electoral votes, 16.7% of the popular vote
Supreme Court Justice John McLean (National Republican-Ohio)/N.Y. State Comptroller Millard Fillmore (National Republican-New York) 0 electoral votes, 13.3% of the popular vote