Background
In late 1839, an Independent Anti-Slavery National Convention met in Warsaw NY and nominated James G. Birney for President and Francis J. LeMoyne for Vice President. The two men declined the honor, and a second convention was called.
Note: for an overview of the anti-slavery movement before 1839, see the IAS convention referenced above.
The 1st Liberty Party National Convention
The first Liberty Party National Convention was held in City Hall, Albany NY, 4/1-2/1840. There were 121 delegates present from six states.
A major issue faci
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Background
In late 1839, an Independent Anti-Slavery National Convention met in Warsaw NY and nominated James G. Birney for President and Francis J. LeMoyne for Vice President. The two men declined the honor, and a second convention was called.
Note: for an overview of the anti-slavery movement before 1839, see the IAS convention referenced above.
The 1st Liberty Party National Convention
The first Liberty Party National Convention was held in City Hall, Albany NY, 4/1-2/1840. There were 121 delegates present from six states.
A major issue facing the convention was whether or not to establish a new political party. Many delegates opposed taking the step and spoke against it. The roll call authorizing a national ticket was also controversial, since 44 delegates (36%) abstained. The remaining delegates voted 44-33 to nominate.
The convention nominated former slaveowner James G. Birney for President and Philadelphia attorney Thomas Earle for Vice President. Soon after the convention, the American Anti-Slavery Society paid for Birney to travel to a world anti-slavery convention in England. Birney was given a time slot in the program, at the beginning of which he was introduced as the anti-slavery nominee for U.S. President [according to the newspaper Farmer's Cabinet, 7/24/1840].
During the campaign, the party was almost universally called the Abolition Party, and many slates of Presidential Electors ran on that party label. The first entry for "Liberty Party" in the New England Historical and Genealogical Society index of historic newspapers occurs on 10/7/1841.
2d Liberty Party National Convention (1844)
Popular vote of 1840
Electoral Vote of 1840
Many of the delegates did not want to run a national ticket. The convention voted 44 to 33 to nominate a ticket, with 44 abstentions. Nominees: James G. Birney NY for President, Thomas Earle PA for VP.
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