The Working Men’s Central Union of New York called a convention of delegates from all states to endorse candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The Central Union had been active in the Eight Hour Bill and hoped to gain national exposure.

National Workingmen National Convention, 1872
Presidential Nominee	Vice Presidential Nominee
U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant IL	U.S. Sen. Henry Wilson MA

Convention Organization

The delegates gathered in the building at 17 West Fourth Street in New York City. There were 205 delegates present at the opening of the session, representing 19 states and territories.

Temporary Chairman: Max Hedmond NJ

Permanent Chairman: George W. Gibbons NJ

When Gibbons took the chair, he gave a short speech in which he stated that President Grant’s recent endorsement of the Eight Hour Bill meant

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The Working Men’s Central Union of New York called a convention of delegates from all states to endorse candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The Central Union had been active in the Eight Hour Bill and hoped to gain national exposure.

National Workingmen National Convention, 1872
Presidential Nominee	Vice Presidential Nominee
U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant IL	U.S. Sen. Henry Wilson MA

Convention Organization

The delegates gathered in the building at 17 West Fourth Street in New York City. There were 205 delegates present at the opening of the session, representing 19 states and territories.

Temporary Chairman: Max Hedmond NJ

Permanent Chairman: George W. Gibbons NJ

When Gibbons took the chair, he gave a short speech in which he stated that President Grant’s recent endorsement of the Eight Hour Bill meant that he “was the only man who could be trusted by the working classes.”

Platform 1. Reduce National Debt; 2. unconditional settlement of Alabama claims; 3. enforcement of eight-hour law throughout the nation; 4. other laws benefiting the working classes; 5. legislating a low interest rate; 6. encouragement of ship building; 7. restricting U.S. Mail to using American ships; 8. sympathizing with other nations struggling with oppression.

Nominations.

The convention then turned to the presidential nomination. Delegate F.M. McGee NY placed President Grant’s name in nomination. The Missouri delegation placed Horace Greeley in nomination. In the roll call that followed, Grant won by a margin of 204 to 5 (the Missouri delegation only voting for Greeley). After the vote, the Missouri delegation made the nomination unanimous.

Three names were placed in nomination for Vice President. California nominated Henry Wilson MA; Delaware nominated Edwin D. Morgan NY; and Maine nominated Schuyler Colfax IN. Wilson won the roll call by a vote of 160 to 25 for Morgan and 24 for Colfax.

Committees were appointed to establish state parties and to notify Grant and Wilson of their nominations.

The Central Union (which called the convention) was asked to organize a second meeting in the Cooper Institute to help spread the news of their decisions.

The evening was spent discussing workers’ strikes in progress during the convention (including the piano makers’ strike), but the delegates were unable to arrive at any decisions regarding them.

Campaign

After the Republican National Convention nominated Grant and Wilson (choosing Wilson over the incumbent VP, Schuyler Colfax), the National Workingmen’s Party merged into the Republican Party. The party held political rallies throughout the north (e.g., New York City on 6/17) at which Republicans spoke. The National Workingmen’s Party thus ceased its separate existence.

Popular vote of 1872

Electoral vote of 1872

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