1860 Conventions (The Hearse at Monticello)

The proudest accomplishment of Thaddeus Stevens' administration would be the passage of the 15th Amendment. Ratified after a contentious battle in the states, the amendment granted the right to vote to all citizens regardless of race or gender, establishing the United States as the first country in the history of the world to adopt universal adult suffrage and enshrining Stevens as one of the most influential presidents in history.
Reconstruction under Stevens continued much as it had under Taylor, though the challenges faced by the former were very different from those addressed by the latter. The president has taken firm action to secure the rights of freedmen, ordering Union troops stationed in the South to subdue vigilante groups such as the Knights of the Golden Circle seeking to intimidate newly freed slaves. In terms of Western Expansion, Stevens signed the Homestead Act in 1858, significantly lowering land prices and encouraging migration into the "California Purchase".
At the 1860 Republican National Convention, Stevens faces opposition from Senators William H. Seward and Salmon P. Chase, whose main reason for challenging Stephens is personal ambition. Meanwhile, at the Democratic Convention, Senator Stephen Douglas is once again in the running, calling for the construction of a Transcontinental Railroad and an end to the military occupation of the South. Having been twice nominated by the party, many now argue that Douglas is something of an old hat, and a number of candidates have stepped up to challenge him. These include Senator Joseph Lane, who is attempting to use his Oregon residence to cast himself as a rugged pioneer; Daniel Dickinson, who has made vague promises to "reform" Washington (interpreted by Republicans as a vow to oust political opponents from government offices); and James Guthrie, a former captain in the Confederate Army.
The Know-Nothing Party collapsed after the 1856 elections, but moderates put off by radicalism in both major parties have not given up their attempt to resurrect the Whig Coalition. These individuals have formed the Constitutional Union Party, whose only principle is strict adherence to the Constitution and which seeks to build support in all regions of the country by promising to avoid all "controversial" issues. Among those being considered for the nomination are Senator John J. Crittenden, the Know-Nothing nominee for vice president in 1856; Samuel Houston, a southern Unionist who has been cautiously supportive of efforts to extend civil rights to blacks; and Edward Everett, a renown orator and former Senator from Massachusetts.
Who shall lead America into the new decade? The choice is yours.

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