Native American Party in the Fillmore Administration
The Native American Party suffered some serious setbacks in the Taylor and Fillmore Administrations. It had emerged during the anti-Catholic riots of the mid-1840s, and it won many elections in northeastern cities. In the election of 1848, the party retained its single seat in the U.S. House, that of Lewis C. Levin in Philadelphia. The party expanded its reach in 1850, creating additional chapters in other cities. In the election of 1850, however, Levin was defeated and the party lost all of its major races.
Increasing Catholic immigration led to a resurgence of the Native American Party in 1851. The party won many more local races in the off-year elections of 1851, especially in Philadelphia. The NAP gains included one state senate seat and five seats in the state house in Philadelphia (NYT 10/18/1851). In Kensington, Philadelphia County, where the NAP swept all eight available seats on the Board of Commissioners, the Democratic majority (15-8-1 Whig) refused to seat the NAP commissioners (NYT 10/28/1851).
National Convention
The 2d Native American Party National Convention assembled in Trenton NJ on 7/5-6/1852. Ten states sent 50 delegates. Former Rep. Lewis C. Levin called the convention to order.
Temporary Chair
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Native American Party in the Fillmore Administration
The Native American Party suffered some serious setbacks in the Taylor and Fillmore Administrations. It had emerged during the anti-Catholic riots of the mid-1840s, and it won many elections in northeastern cities. In the election of 1848, the party retained its single seat in the U.S. House, that of Lewis C. Levin in Philadelphia. The party expanded its reach in 1850, creating additional chapters in other cities. In the election of 1850, however, Levin was defeated and the party lost all of its major races.
Increasing Catholic immigration led to a resurgence of the Native American Party in 1851. The party won many more local races in the off-year elections of 1851, especially in Philadelphia. The NAP gains included one state senate seat and five seats in the state house in Philadelphia (NYT 10/18/1851). In Kensington, Philadelphia County, where the NAP swept all eight available seats on the Board of Commissioners, the Democratic majority (15-8-1 Whig) refused to seat the NAP commissioners (NYT 10/28/1851).
National Convention
The 2d Native American Party National Convention assembled in Trenton NJ on 7/5-6/1852. Ten states sent 50 delegates. Former Rep. Lewis C. Levin called the convention to order.
Temporary Chairman: Joseph Franklin NJ
Chairman: Jacob Broome of Philadelphia
Secretary: J.M. Oxton MA
Reynell Coates NJ made a speech on the first day of the convention in which he recommended that the convention make no nominations. He believed that if Robert F. Stockton NJ or Daniel Webster were nominated for President by another party, the NAP could make an endorsement. He recommended Garrett Davis KY as a suitable nominee for Vice President. Coates's speech included a number of resolutions, which he moved be placed on the table until the platform committee reported.
A long discussion took place on the Coates resolutions. Since delegates were in attendance from four Southern states (GA, MD, TN, and VA), one delegate recommended that the platform be altered to make it more amenable to the South. He recommended Daniel Webster for President and George C. Washington MD for Vice President and also recommended that the name of the party be changed to the American Party. [All three of his recommendations were adopted the next day.] The Secretary of the Convention said that Webster had no support in MA and could not win his home state. The resolutions were forwarded to a committee, and the convention closed for the evening.
On the second day of the convention, the morning session was devoted to the adoption of the platform and the afternoon to the nominations.
Reynell Coates, the chairman of the Platform Committee, reported that the committee wanted to offer the original party platform of 1845 with a few minor changes. The only change of substance was the renaming of the Party from the "Native American Party" to the "American Party." The entire TN delegation spoke in favor of the change, and it was adopted by a vote of 32-15. One delegate had given the committee a set of resolutions, which included names of candidates; the committee was evenly divided on these resolutions, and the convention took no action on them.
The afternoon session began with votes on some other platform planks. A long discussion took place on the issue of naturalization, and the alternate plank was eventually defeated by a vote of 21-26. A motion to call for a $250 tax on immigrants was also defeated. The convention did vote 28-17 to declare the Compromise of 1850 a finality.
The platform now complete, the convention entered into nominations. One delegate offered a resolution nominating Webster and Washington. Coates opposed making any nomination, but his measure lost 21-26.
C.W. Denison, the editor of a newspaper that had endorsed Webster already, said that in his opinion, the convention should recommend Webster not as a Native American but as a Union candidate. He rejected claims that Webster would decline to run on the NAP ticket, as he felt many people were coming forward calling for Webster's nomination. An Illinois delegate placed Kimber Cleaver in nomination as a more suitable nominee. After a motion by Reynell Coates to dissolve the convention failed, he walked out. During the balloting, other delegates also left.
Daniel Webster was nominated for President by a 27-4 margin over Cleaver. George C. Washington MD was nominated for VP with 28 votes to three for Jesse Mann MA.
Following the balloting, a national executive committee of eight was appointed, and then the convention adjourned sine die. [The proceedings of the convention were reported in the New York Times on 7/7/1852.]
The day after the convention, as Webster was passing through Philadelphia, some Nativists offered a 100-gun salute to him. [NYT 7/8/1852]
The Campaign
From the beginning, the Webster-Washington ticket appeared to have been a mistake. The division of the party at its own national convention was the first sign of trouble. Webster was noncommittal about running; at that same time, the Union Party in Georgia was organizing its campaign with Webster as its presidential nominee. A Webster electoral ticket was also being organized in NC. On 7/13/1852, Washington declined to run for VP, stating in a letter printed in the New York Times on 7/15/1852 that he supported the Whig ticket. The party apparently made no alternate nomination for VP. However, nativist sentiment was growing. A "very large demonstration" took place in front of Independence Hall on 10/8/1852, though the New York Times correspondent reported the next day that a recent Democratic demonstration had been larger.
Replacement Ticket
The American Party was thrown into total disarray when Daniel Webster died on 10/24/1852, just nine days before the election.
The executive committee met in Philadelphia on 10/27/1852 to decide how to proceed. It voted unanimously to put forth a new national ticket: Jacob Broom PA for President and Reynell Coates NJ for VP.
The Broom-Coates ticket performed very poorly. With less than a week remaining before the election, it was primarily active in the Philadelphia area.
1st Native American National Convention (1847)
Popular Vote of 1852
Electoral Vote of 1852
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