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{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is already sufficiently detailed; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
The '''1855 United States Senate election in New York''' was held on February 6, 1855, by the [[New York State Legislature]] to elect a [[U.S. Senator from New York|U.S. Senator]] (Class 3) to represent the State of [[New York]] in the [[United States Senate]].
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1855 United States Senate election in New York
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1849 United States Senate election in New York
| previous_year = 1849
| next_election = 1861 United States Senate election in New York
| next_year = 1861
| election_date = February 6, 1855
| image_size = x160px
| votes_for_election = Majority vote of each house needed to win
| 1blank = Senate
| 2blank = Percentage
| 3blank = House
| 4blank = Percentage

| image1 = File:WmHSeward.jpg
| nominee1 = '''[[William Seward]]'''
| party1 = Whig Party (US)
| 1data1 = '''18'''
| 2data1 = '''56.25%'''
| 3data1 = '''69'''
| 4data1 = '''52.27%'''

| image2 = File:Daniel Dickinson NY.jpg
| nominee2 = [[Daniel S. Dickinson]]
| party2 = Democratic Party (US)
| alliance2 = [[Barnburners and Hunkers#Hunkers|Hards]]
| 1data2 = 5
| 2data2 = 15.62%
| 3data2 = 14
| 4data2 = 10.61%

| image3 = File:HoratioSeymour circa1860.png
| nominee3 = [[Horatio Seymour]]
| party3 = Democratic Party (US)
| alliance3 = [[Barnburners and Hunkers#Hunkers|Softs]]
| 1data3 = 0
| 2data3 = 0.00%
| 3data3 = 12
| 4data3 = 9.09%

| title = Senator
| before_election = [[William Seward]]
| before_party = Whig Party (US)
| after_election = [[William Seward]]
| after_party = Whig Party (US)
}}
{{ElectionsNY}}
The '''1855 United States Senate election in New York''' was held on February 6, 1855, by the [[New York State Legislature]] to elect a [[U.S. Senator from New York|U.S. Senator]] (Class 3) to represent the State of [[New York (state)|New York]] in the [[United States Senate]].


==Background==
==Background==
William H. Seward had been elected in 1849 to this seat and his term would expire on March 3, 1855.
[[William H. Seward]] had been elected in 1849 to this seat and his term would expire on March 3, 1855.


At the time the [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic Party]] was split into two opposing factions: [[Barnburners and Hunkers|the "Hards" and the "Softs"]]. After most of the "Barnburners" had left the party, joining the Whigs, the majority of "Hunkers" split over the question of reconciliation with the minority of Barnburners who had remained Democrats. The Hard faction (led by [[Daniel S. Dickinson]]) was against it, in true Hunker fashion claiming all patronage for themselves; the Soft faction (led by [[William L. Marcy]], which included the former Barnburners, advocated party unity as a necessity to defeat the Whigs.
At the time the [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic Party]] was split into two opposing factions: [[Barnburners and Hunkers|the "Hards" and the "Softs"]]. After most of the "Barnburners" had left the party, joining the Whigs, the majority of "Hunkers" split over the question of reconciliation with the minority of Barnburners who had remained Democrats. The Hard faction (led by [[Daniel S. Dickinson]]) was against it, in true Hunker fashion claiming all patronage for themselves; the Soft faction (led by [[William L. Marcy]]), which included the former Barnburners, advocated party unity as a necessity to defeat the Whigs.


In 1854, the [[United States Republican Party|Republican Party]] was founded as a national party, but in New York the Whigs and the [[Anti-Nebraska Party]] ran concurrently at the State election. The unification of these occurred in New York only during the nomination convention for the [[New York state election, 1855|State election in November 1855]]. Also running in the 1854 election were the [[Know Nothing|American Party]] and nominees of the [[Temperance movement]]. In a general way, party lines were blurred until the re-alignment during the late 1850s after the disbanding of the American Party.
In 1854, the [[United States Republican Party|Republican Party]] was founded as a national party, but in New York the Whigs and the [[Anti-Nebraska Party]] ran concurrently at the State election. The unification of these occurred in New York only during the nomination convention for the [[New York state election, 1855|State election in November 1855]]. Also running in the 1854 election were the [[Know Nothing|American Party]] and nominees of the [[Temperance movement]]. In a general way, party lines were blurred until the re-alignment during the late 1850s after the disbanding of the American Party.


At the [[New York state election, 1853|State election in November 1853]], 23 Whigs, 7 Hards and 2 Softs were elected for a two-year term (1854-1855) in the State Senate. At the [[New York state election, 1854|State election in November 1854]], Whig State Senator [[Myron H. Clark]] was elected [[Governor of New York]], and 82 Whigs, 26 Softs, 16 Hards and 3 Temperance men were elected for the session of 1855 to the New York State Assembly. "[[Know Nothing]]s are sprinkled miscellaneously among Whigs, Hards and Softs; and exactly how many there are of these gentry in the Assembly Nobody Knows."<ref>Result and comment in [http://books.google.com/books?id=PVowAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA2-PA41 ''The Whig Almanac 1855''] compiled by [[Horace Greeley]] of the ''[[New York Tribune]]''</ref> The [[78th New York State Legislature]] met from January 2 to April 14, 1855, at [[Albany, New York]].
At the [[New York state election, 1853|State election in November 1853]], 23 Whigs, 7 Hards and 2 Softs were elected for a two-year term (1854-1855) in the State Senate. At the [[New York state election, 1854|State election in November 1854]], Whig State Senator [[Myron H. Clark]] was elected [[Governor of New York]], and 82 Whigs, 26 Softs, 16 Hards and 3 Temperance men were elected for the session of 1855 to the New York State Assembly. "[[Know Nothing]]s are sprinkled miscellaneously among Whigs, Hards and Softs; and exactly how many there are of these gentry in the Assembly Nobody Knows."<ref>Result and comment in [https://books.google.com/books?id=PVowAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA2-PA41 ''The Whig Almanac 1855''] compiled by [[Horace Greeley]] of the ''[[New York Tribune]]''</ref> The [[78th New York State Legislature]] met from January 2 to April 14, 1855, at [[Albany, New York]].


==Candidates==
==Candidates==
Line 16: Line 67:
In the Assembly, Seward received 69 votes, given by 65 Whigs; 1 Democrat; 1 Temperance man; 1 Republican and 1 Whig-Republican. Dickinson received 14 votes, given by 13 Democrats and 1 American. Horatio Seymour received the votes of 12 Democrats. Dix received 7 votes, given by 5 Democrats; 1 Independent Democrat and 1 Temperance man. Fillmore received 4 votes, given by 2 Whigs; 1 Democrat and 1 Temperance-American. Horatio Seymour, Jr., received the votes of 2 Americans. King, Butler, Lester, Wait and Bronson received 1 Democratic vote each. Campbell received 1 Temperance-American vote. Howell received 1 American vote. Hoffman and Haven received 1 Whig vote each.
In the Assembly, Seward received 69 votes, given by 65 Whigs; 1 Democrat; 1 Temperance man; 1 Republican and 1 Whig-Republican. Dickinson received 14 votes, given by 13 Democrats and 1 American. Horatio Seymour received the votes of 12 Democrats. Dix received 7 votes, given by 5 Democrats; 1 Independent Democrat and 1 Temperance man. Fillmore received 4 votes, given by 2 Whigs; 1 Democrat and 1 Temperance-American. Horatio Seymour, Jr., received the votes of 2 Americans. King, Butler, Lester, Wait and Bronson received 1 Democratic vote each. Campbell received 1 Temperance-American vote. Howell received 1 American vote. Hoffman and Haven received 1 Whig vote each.


In the State Senate, Seward received 18 Whig votes, Dickinson 5 Hard votes, and Allen 2 Whig votes. Preston and Church received 1 Soft vote each. Hoffman, Babcock, Ullmann and Fillmore received 1 American vote each.
In the State Senate, Seward received 18 Whig votes, Dickinson 5 Hard votes, and Allen 2 Whig votes. Preston and Church received 1 Soft vote each. Hoffman, Babcock, Ullmann and Fillmore received 1 American vote each.


==Result==
==Result==
William H. Seward was the choice of both the Assembly and the Senate, and was declared elected.
William H. Seward was the choice of both the Assembly and the Senate, and was declared elected.


{| class=wikitable
{| class=wikitable
Line 73: Line 124:
|-
|-
|
|
|[[Horatio Seymour (Erie County, NY)|Horatio Seymour Jr.]]<ref>Horatio Seymour (d. 1872), lawyer, of [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]]; [[Litchfield Law School]] graduate; assemblyman 1862; surrogate of [[Erie County, New York|Erie County]] 1868-71; son of U.S. Senator from Vermont [[Horatio Seymour (Vermont)|Horatio Seymour]]</ref>
|[[Horatio Seymour (Erie County, NY)|Horatio Seymour Jr.]]<ref>Horatio Seymour (d. 1872), lawyer, of [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]]; [[Litchfield Law School]] graduate; assemblyman 1862; surrogate of [[Erie County, New York|Erie County]] 1868-71; son of U.S. Senator from Vermont [[Horatio Seymour (Vermont politician)|Horatio Seymour]]</ref>
|
|
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
Line 109: Line 160:
|-
|-
|
|
|[[William Campbell (New York)|William W. Campbell]]
|[[William W. Campbell (New York congressman)|William W. Campbell]]
|[[Know Nothing|American]]
|[[Know Nothing|American]]
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
Line 134: Line 185:
|
|
|[[Solomon G. Haven]]
|[[Solomon G. Haven]]
|[[Opposition Party (United States)|Opposition]]
|[[Opposition Party (Northern U.S.)|Opposition]]
| align="right" |
| align="right" |
| align="right" | 1
| align="right" | 1
Line 159: Line 210:


==Sources==
==Sources==
*[http://books.google.com/books?id=E3sFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA63 ''The New York Civil List''] compiled in 1858 (see: pg. 63 for U.S. Senators; pg. 137 for State Senators 1855; pg. 248ff for Members of Assembly 1855)
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=E3sFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA63 ''The New York Civil List''] compiled in 1858 (see: pg. 63 for U.S. Senators; pg. 137 for State Senators 1855; pg. 248ff for Members of Assembly 1855)
*[http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/cdocuments/hd108-222/34th.pdf Members of the 34th United States Congress]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110204154753/http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/cdocuments/hd108-222/34th.pdf Members of the 34th United States Congress]
*[http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9E05E0D71F3EE334BC4F53DFB466838E649FDE ''STATE AFFAIRS; Election of a U.S. Senator for Six Years''] in NYT on February 7, 1855
*[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1855/02/07/75798702.pdf ''STATE AFFAIRS; Election of a U.S. Senator for Six Years''] in NYT on February 7, 1855
*Result Senate: [http://books.google.com.br/books?id=J7oaAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA198 ''Journal of the Senate'' (78th Session)] (1855; pg. 198)
*Result Senate: [https://books.google.com/books?id=J7oaAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA198 ''Journal of the Senate'' (78th Session)] (1855; pg. 198)


{{1855 United States elections}}
{{New York elections}}
{{New York elections}}


[[Category:United States Senate elections in New York|1855]]
[[Category:United States Senate elections in New York (state)|1855]]
[[Category:1855 elections in the United States]]
[[Category:1855 United States Senate elections|New York]]
[[Category:New York elections, 1855]]
[[Category:1855 New York (state) elections|United States Senate]]

Latest revision as of 09:28, 24 May 2024

1855 United States Senate election in New York
← 1849 February 6, 1855 1861 →

Majority vote of each house needed to win
 
Nominee William Seward Daniel S. Dickinson Horatio Seymour
Party Whig Democratic Democratic
Alliance Hards Softs
Senate 18 5 0
Percentage 56.25% 15.62% 0.00%
House 69 14 12
Percentage 52.27% 10.61% 9.09%

Senator before election

William Seward
Whig

Elected Senator

William Seward
Whig

The 1855 United States Senate election in New York was held on February 6, 1855, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator (Class 3) to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.

Background

[edit]

William H. Seward had been elected in 1849 to this seat and his term would expire on March 3, 1855.

At the time the Democratic Party was split into two opposing factions: the "Hards" and the "Softs". After most of the "Barnburners" had left the party, joining the Whigs, the majority of "Hunkers" split over the question of reconciliation with the minority of Barnburners who had remained Democrats. The Hard faction (led by Daniel S. Dickinson) was against it, in true Hunker fashion claiming all patronage for themselves; the Soft faction (led by William L. Marcy), which included the former Barnburners, advocated party unity as a necessity to defeat the Whigs.

In 1854, the Republican Party was founded as a national party, but in New York the Whigs and the Anti-Nebraska Party ran concurrently at the State election. The unification of these occurred in New York only during the nomination convention for the State election in November 1855. Also running in the 1854 election were the American Party and nominees of the Temperance movement. In a general way, party lines were blurred until the re-alignment during the late 1850s after the disbanding of the American Party.

At the State election in November 1853, 23 Whigs, 7 Hards and 2 Softs were elected for a two-year term (1854-1855) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1854, Whig State Senator Myron H. Clark was elected Governor of New York, and 82 Whigs, 26 Softs, 16 Hards and 3 Temperance men were elected for the session of 1855 to the New York State Assembly. "Know Nothings are sprinkled miscellaneously among Whigs, Hards and Softs; and exactly how many there are of these gentry in the Assembly Nobody Knows."[1] The 78th New York State Legislature met from January 2 to April 14, 1855, at Albany, New York.

Candidates

[edit]

The incumbent U.S. Senator William H. Seward ran for re-election as a Whig.

Election

[edit]

In the Assembly, Seward received 69 votes, given by 65 Whigs; 1 Democrat; 1 Temperance man; 1 Republican and 1 Whig-Republican. Dickinson received 14 votes, given by 13 Democrats and 1 American. Horatio Seymour received the votes of 12 Democrats. Dix received 7 votes, given by 5 Democrats; 1 Independent Democrat and 1 Temperance man. Fillmore received 4 votes, given by 2 Whigs; 1 Democrat and 1 Temperance-American. Horatio Seymour, Jr., received the votes of 2 Americans. King, Butler, Lester, Wait and Bronson received 1 Democratic vote each. Campbell received 1 Temperance-American vote. Howell received 1 American vote. Hoffman and Haven received 1 Whig vote each.

In the State Senate, Seward received 18 Whig votes, Dickinson 5 Hard votes, and Allen 2 Whig votes. Preston and Church received 1 Soft vote each. Hoffman, Babcock, Ullmann and Fillmore received 1 American vote each.

Result

[edit]

William H. Seward was the choice of both the Assembly and the Senate, and was declared elected.

1855 United States Senator election result
Office Candidate Party Senate
(32 members)
Assembly
(128 members)
U.S. Senator William H. Seward Whig 18 69
Daniel S. Dickinson Dem./Hard 5 14
Horatio Seymour Dem./Soft 12
Washington Hunt Whig 9
John Adams Dix Dem./Soft 7
Millard Fillmore Whig 1 4
William F. Allen Democrat 2
Horatio Seymour Jr.[2] 2
Preston King 1 1
Ogden Hoffman Whig 1 1
Daniel Ullmann American 1
Sanford E. Church Democrat 1
George R. Babcock Whig 1
William W. Campbell American 1
Benjamin F. Butler Democrat 1
Albert Lester Democrat 1
Greene C. Bronson Democrat 1
Solomon G. Haven Opposition 1
John D. Howell 1
L. or J. Wait 1

Aftermath

[edit]

Seward remained in the U.S. Senate until March 3, 1861, and two days later became U.S. Secretary of State, appointed by President Abraham Lincoln.

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Result and comment in The Whig Almanac 1855 compiled by Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune
  2. ^ Horatio Seymour (d. 1872), lawyer, of Buffalo; Litchfield Law School graduate; assemblyman 1862; surrogate of Erie County 1868-71; son of U.S. Senator from Vermont Horatio Seymour

Sources

[edit]