Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
United States presidential election of 1856
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
The election results of 1856 James Buchanan John C. Frémont Millard Fillmore popular sovereignty; U.S. presidential election of 1856 American presidential election, 1856
Quizzes
Washington Monument. Washington Monument and fireworks, Washington DC. The Monument was built as an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington.
All-American History Quiz
The White House in Washington, D.C., USA. The north portico which faces Pennsylvania Avenue.
U.S. Presidential History Quiz
Related Questions
Read Next
Close up of a hand placing a ballot in a ballot box. Election vote voter voting
Have Any U.S. Presidents Decided Not to Run For a Second Term?
United States elections portal page linking to each election interactive
A History of U.S. Presidential Elections in Maps
Artwork for themes for Pro-Con articles.
Pro and Con: Voting Machines
The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.
14 Questions About Government in the United States Answered
Artwork for themes for Pro-Con articles.
Pro and Con: Election Day Holiday
Discover
Panama Canal infographic
Timeline and Map of the Panama Canal
Ahura Mazda - relief of the Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda at the ancient ruins of Persepolis in Iran. Also known as Ormazd Zoroastrianism,
Which Religion Is the Oldest?
Close-up of ostriches (Struthio camelus) necks and heads; location unknown.
6 of the World's Most Dangerous Birds
Orange basketball on black background and with low key lighting. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
The 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time
Nativity Scene, Adoration of the Magi, Church of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, Montenegro
Why Is Christmas in December?
Fish. Lionfish. Lion-fish. Turkey fish. Fire-fish. Red lionfish. Pterois volitans. Venomous fin spines. Coral reefs. Underwater. Ocean. Red lionfish swims by seaweed.
10 of the World’s Most Dangerous Fish
Srinivasa Ramanujan, Indian mathematician and autodidact.
6 Interesting Facts about Srinivasa Ramanujan
James Buchanan
James Buchanan U.S. Pres. James Buchanan, oil on canvas by George Peter Alexander Healy, 1859; in the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.

United States presidential election of 1856

United States government
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written by
Richard Pallardy
Richard Pallardy received a B.A. in English from Illinois State University in 2005. He was a research editor with Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. from 2008 to 2016 and worked on Britannica Blog from 2010...
Richard Pallardy
Fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History
Quick Facts
Date:
November 4, 1856

United States presidential election of 1856, American presidential election held on November 4, 1856, in which Democrat James Buchanan defeated Republican John C. Frémont with 174 electoral votes to Frémont’s 114. Whig and former president Millard Fillmore, who ran on the Know-Nothing ticket, garnered only 8 electoral votes. The period leading up to the presidential election of 1856 saw the political factions that drove the country’s policies in the midst of a massive realignment. The once-dominant Whigs, enervated by a series of defeats and internecine conflicts, were in a state of collapse, with many members defecting to the splinter parties ...(100 of 571 words)

Access the full article
Help support true facts by becoming a member.