 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 County Results
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 1860 United States presidential election in Texas was held on November 6, 1860. State voters chose four electors to represent the state in the Electoral College, which chose the president and vice president.
With the state media overwhelmingly behind him, Texas overwhelmingly voted for Breckinridge by a margin of 50.97%, who won 75.47 percent of the vote, making Texas his strongest state. Despite the allegiance of Douglas supporters, Bell carried only three counties in the state and it is sometimes thought that the German-American abolitionists in such counties as Gillespie refrained from visiting the polls. Besides the counties he won, Bell only exceeded 40% of the vote in six other counties. Douglas gained a mere 18 votes as a write-in candidate.
Soon after this election, Texas seceded from the United States in March 1861 and joined the Confederate States of America. It would not participate in the following elections in 1864 and 1868. The state would not be readmitted into the Union until 1870 and would not participate in another presidential election until 1872.
Background
Before candidates were even nominated, Texas, as the frontier of slavery in the United States, was always recognised as extremely important to the extension of slavery, and nefarious tales of abolition plots there were common in the Southern media. Texas delegates to the first Democratic National Convention refused to accept “Northern Democrat” Stephen A. Douglas′ platform of “popular sovereignty” — locally called “squatter sovereignty” — because they believed that it would prevent the expansion of slavery in the same manner as the Republicans’ “free soil” policy. Texas was among the most insistent states upon a platform that guaranteed expansion of slavery into the territories and consequently the state Democratic party unanimously supported the nomination of Southern Democrat nominee John C. Breckinridge. Douglas, indeed, had so little support amongst the Texas electorate that his supporters had agreed to transfer their allegiance to Constitutional Union candidate John Bell, although their ultimate goal was to support whomever stood the best chance of beating Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln, who was not on the ballot in Texas.
Results
| 1860 United States presidential election in Texas | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Southern Democratic | John C. Breckinridge | 47,548 | 75.47% | 4 | |
| Constitutional Union | John Bell | 15,438 | 24.50% | 0 | |
| Democratic | Stephen A. Douglas (write-in) | 18 | 0.03% | 0 | |
| Total | 63,004 | 100% | 4 | ||
Results By County
| County | John C. Breckinridge
Southern Democratic |
John Bell
Constitutional Union |
Total Votes Cast | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | ||
| Anderson | 853 | 88.30% | 113 | 11.70% | 966 |
| Angelina | 213 | 63.58% | 122 | 36.42% | 335 |
| Atascosa | 194 | 90.23% | 21 | 9.77% | 215 |
| Austin | 395 | 74.53% | 135 | 25.47% | 530 |
| Bandera | 6 | 15.79% | 32 | 84.21% | 38 |
| Bastrop | 433 | 70.18% | 184 | 29.82% | 617 |
| Bee | 121 | 83.45% | 24 | 16.55% | 145 |
| Bell | 486 | 71.68% | 192 | 28.32% | 678 |
| Bexar | 986 | 77.09% | 293 | 22.91% | 1,279 |
| Blanco | 136 | 82.93% | 28 | 17.07% | 164 |
| Bosque | 218 | 82.58% | 46 | 17.42% | 264 |
| Bowie | 324 | 72.00% | 126 | 28.00% | 450 |
| Brazoria | 390 | 85.71% | 65 | 14.29% | 455 |
| Brazos | 253 | 95.11% | 13 | 4.89% | 266 |
| Brown | 39 | 81.25% | 9 | 18.75% | 48 |
| Burleson | 506 | 82.14% | 110 | 17.86% | 616 |
| Burnet | 148 | 52.11% | 136 | 47.89% | 284 |
| Caldwell | 423 | 76.77% | 128 | 23.23% | 551 |
| Calhoun | 350 | 74.15% | 122 | 25.85% | 472 |
| Cameron | 335 | 80.34% | 82 | 19.66% | 417 |
| Cass | 536 | 69.61% | 234 | 30.39% | 770 |
| Chambers | 106 | 84.80% | 19 | 15.20% | 125 |
| Cherokee | 905 | 85.14% | 158 | 14.86% | 1,063 |
| Collin | 667 | 62.39% | 402 | 37.61% | 1,069 |
| Colorado | 569 | 59.15% | 393 | 40.85% | 962 |
| Comal | 201 | 90.95% | 20 | 9.05% | 221 |
| Comanche | 104 | 92.04% | 9 | 7.96% | 113 |
| Cooke | 264 | 66.00% | 136 | 34.00% | 400 |
| Coryell | 249 | 77.57% | 72 | 22.43% | 321 |
| Dallas | 868 | 75.81% | 277 | 24.19% | 1,145 |
| Denton | 586 | 75.61% | 189 | 24.39% | 775 |
| DeWitt | 490 | 85.51% | 83 | 14.49% | 573 |
| Ellis | 416 | 66.88% | 206 | 33.12% | 622 |
| El Paso | 1,042 | 98.96% | 11 | 1.04% | 1,053 |
| Erath | 214 | 91.85% | 19 | 8.15% | 233 |
| Falls | 161 | 65.45% | 85 | 34.55% | 246 |
| Fannin | 778 | 67.36% | 377 | 32.64% | 1,155 |
| Fayette | 744 | 62.78% | 441 | 37.22% | 1,185 |
| Fort Bend | 362 | 92.11% | 31 | 7.89% | 393 |
| Freestone | 569 | 89.18% | 69 | 10.82% | 638 |
| Galveston | 730 | 72.06% | 283 | 27.94% | 1,013 |
| Gillespie | 66 | 48.53% | 70 | 51.47% | 136 |
| Goliad | 243 | 64.12% | 136 | 35.88% | 379 |
| Gonzales | 646 | 75.12% | 214 | 24.88% | 860 |
| Grayson | 776 | 63.76% | 441 | 36.24% | 1,217 |
| Grimes | 604 | 74.85% | 203 | 25.15% | 807 |
| Guadalupe | 244 | 63.54% | 140 | 36.46% | 384 |
| Hamilton | 108 | 93.10% | 8 | 6.90% | 116 |
| Hardin | 231 | 93.52% | 16 | 6.48% | 247 |
| Harris | 990 | 72.16% | 382 | 27.84% | 1,372 |
| Harrison | 681 | 63.70% | 388 | 36.30% | 1,069 |
| Hays | 164 | 55.41% | 132 | 44.59% | 296 |
| Henderson | 464 | 79.45% | 120 | 20.55% | 584 |
| Hidalgo | 64 | 100.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 64 |
| Hill | 389 | 74.95% | 130 | 25.05% | 519 |
| Hopkins | 812 | 74.98% | 271 | 25.02% | 1,083 |
| Houston | 431 | 77.10% | 128 | 22.90% | 559 |
| Hunt | 712 | 75.18% | 235 | 24.82% | 947 |
| Jack | 100 | 74.07% | 35 | 25.93% | 135 |
| Jackson | 181 | 61.15% | 115 | 38.85% | 296 |
| Jasper | 268 | 75.28% | 88 | 24.72% | 356 |
| Jefferson | 257 | 75.15% | 85 | 24.85% | 342 |
| Johnson | 446 | 88.32% | 59 | 11.68% | 505 |
| Karnes | 160 | 71.75% | 63 | 28.25% | 223 |
| Kaufman | 663 | 79.69% | 169 | 20.31% | 832 |
| Kerr | 86 | 73.50% | 31 | 26.50% | 117 |
| Lamar | 791 | 70.44% | 332 | 29.56% | 1,123 |
| Lampasas | 80 | 52.63% | 72 | 47.37% | 152 |
| Lavaca | 596 | 84.42% | 110 | 15.58% | 706 |
| Leon | 576 | 80.67% | 138 | 19.33% | 714 |
| Liberty | 345 | 98.29% | 6 | 1.71% | 351 |
| Limestone | 482 | 92.34% | 40 | 7.66% | 522 |
| Live Oak | 133 | 92.36% | 11 | 7.64% | 144 |
| Llano | 153 | 76.12% | 48 | 23.88% | 201 |
| Madison | 232 | 89.92% | 26 | 10.08% | 258 |
| Marion | 446 | 70.79% | 184 | 29.21% | 630 |
| Mason | 17 | 94.44% | 1 | 5.56% | 18 |
| Matagorda | 195 | 96.06% | 8 | 3.94% | 203 |
| McLennan | 524 | 72.18% | 202 | 27.82% | 726 |
| Medina | 146 | 80.22% | 36 | 19.78% | 182 |
| Milam | 474 | 73.15% | 174 | 26.85% | 648 |
| Montague | 120 | 78.95% | 32 | 21.05% | 152 |
| Montgomery | 263 | 69.95% | 113 | 30.05% | 376 |
| Nacogdoches | 381 | 66.61% | 191 | 33.39% | 572 |
| Navarro | 491 | 74.17% | 171 | 25.83% | 662 |
| Newton | 100 | 89.29% | 12 | 10.71% | 112 |
| Nueces | 128 | 74.42% | 44 | 25.58% | 172 |
| Orange | 129 | 95.56% | 6 | 4.44% | 135 |
| Palo Pinto | 152 | 96.20% | 6 | 3.80% | 158 |
| Panola | 518 | 79.94% | 130 | 20.06% | 648 |
| Parker | 775 | 82.36% | 166 | 17.64% | 941 |
| Polk | 562 | 90.06% | 62 | 9.94% | 624 |
| Red River | 514 | 62.30% | 311 | 37.70% | 825 |
| Refugio | 155 | 81.15% | 36 | 18.85% | 191 |
| Robertson | 341 | 78.03% | 96 | 21.97% | 437 |
| Rusk | 1,149 | 68.93% | 518 | 31.07% | 1,667 |
| Sabine | 232 | 95.47% | 11 | 4.53% | 243 |
| San Augustine | 219 | 86.56% | 34 | 13.44% | 253 |
| San Patricio | 64 | 95.52% | 3 | 4.48% | 67 |
| San Saba | 115 | 74.68% | 39 | 25.32% | 154 |
| Shelby | 425 | 84.49% | 78 | 15.51% | 503 |
| Smith | 1,155 | 76.85% | 348 | 23.15% | 1,503 |
| Starr | 40 | 27.40% | 106 | 72.60% | 146 |
| Tarrant | 618 | 74.82% | 208 | 25.18% | 826 |
| Titus | 884 | 76.08% | 278 | 23.92% | 1,162 |
| Travis | 556 | 56.91% | 421 | 43.09% | 977 |
| Trinity | 218 | 88.98% | 27 | 11.02% | 245 |
| Tyler | 496 | 98.41% | 8 | 1.59% | 504 |
| Upshur | 945 | 73.89% | 334 | 26.11% | 1,279 |
| Uvalde | 81 | 80.20% | 20 | 19.80% | 101 |
| Van Zandt | 335 | 92.03% | 29 | 7.97% | 364 |
| Victoria | 235 | 71.65% | 93 | 28.35% | 328 |
| Walker | 499 | 75.61% | 161 | 24.39% | 660 |
| Washington | 908 | 84.23% | 170 | 15.77% | 1,078 |
| Webb | 76 | 98.70% | 1 | 1.30% | 77 |
| Wharton | 215 | 91.10% | 21 | 8.90% | 236 |
| Williamson | 487 | 68.40% | 225 | 31.60% | 712 |
| Wilson | 47 | 54.02% | 40 | 45.98% | 87 |
| Wise | 169 | 65.50% | 89 | 34.50% | 258 |
| Wood | 515 | 67.14% | 252 | 32.86% | 767 |
| Young | 98 | 89.91% | 11 | 10.09% | 109 |
| Zapata | 151 | 100.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 151 |
| Total | 47,639 | 75.54% | 15,422 | 24.46% | 63,061 |
See also
Notes
- The write-in votes for Stephen A. Douglas are only given as a state total, as they are not included in most county data.
- No returns have been located for this election for Clay County.
- Not included in the official returns as they arrived after the deadline.
- Not included in the official returns as they arrived after the deadline.
- Not included in the official returns as they arrived after the deadline.
References
- ^ Ledbetter, Billy D. (October 1975). "Politics and Society: The Popular Response to Political Rhetoric in Texas, 1857-1860". East Texas Historical Journal. 13 (2): 11–24.
- "1860 Presidential Election Statistics". Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
- Morgenthaler, Jefferson; The German Settlement of the Texas Hill Country, p. 153 ISBN 1932801049
- ^ Crenshaw, Ollinger (July 1942). "The Psychological Background of the Election of 1860 in the South". The North Carolina Historical Review. 19 (3): 260–279.
- Baggett, James Alex; The Scalawags: Southern Dissenters in the Civil War and Reconstruction, p. 38 ISBN 0807130141
- Bünger, Walter L. Secession and the Union in Texas. p. 76. ISBN 0292739958.
- "1860 Presidential General Election Results - Texas". David Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
- The Tribune Almanac and Political Register. Tribune Association. 1861.
- Dubin, Michael J. United States Presidential Elections. 1788-1870: The Official Results by County and State. ISBN 978-0-7864-6422-7.
State results of the 1860 U.S. presidential election | ||
|---|---|---|
|  | |
 | This Texas elections-related article is a stub. You can help Knowledge (XXG) by expanding it. |