Why did Horatio Seymour win Oregon in 1868?

[Blow by blow, the passion dies]

The state wouldn't vote Democratic again in a two-party race until 1932. I guess it was settled by Southerners.

[E-Dawg]

The state wouldn't vote Democratic again in a two-party race until 1932. I guess it was settled by Southerners.

Oregon and Louisiana were the only two states that voted Seymour in 1868 but for Hayes in 1876 (both voted Grant in 1872). And judging by Oregon's large Breckinridge vote in 1860 and large McClellan vote in 1864, it does seem to have been settled by southerns initially.

[TDAS04]

Well, Breckinridge came with 2 points of carrying Oregon 8 years prior (Breckinridge’s running mate was a Democratic senator from Oregon, who was pro-slavery and pro-secession), so there could’ve been some holdover Democratic support still well-intact come 1868.

I think a lot of people would be surprised to find out the extent of the pro-South sympathy that existed in California and Oregon. I found it both fascinating and weird when I found out the details of their 1860 margins. Lincoln carried them—that’s how they appeared on the map—but Lincoln only won the PV totals in California and Oregon with low pluralities (32% and 36% respectively), and only pulled it off thanks to Douglas and Breckinridge (and Bell to some extent in California) splitting the opposition on the West Coast.

[TML]

I believe the following two factors contributed to Southerners being the predominant group to initially settle in OR:

-The Oregon Trail originated in Missouri, which was a slave state up until the Civil War;
-OR originally had a black exclusion law on its books, which explains its relatively low percentage of black residents today (even after such laws were invalidated by the 14th amendment after 1868).

[Sumner 1868]

It was McClellan's best state out west in 1864 as well with 46% to Lincoln's 53%. The Oregon legislature rescinded the 14th Amendment that year as well. Oregon settlement was unique in that unlike other Western states, Oregon had the explicit goal of being a white nationalist utopia.

Well, Breckinridge came with 2 points of carrying Oregon 8 years prior (Breckinridge’s running mate was a Democratic senator from Oregon, who was pro-slavery and pro-secession), so there could’ve been some holdover Democratic support still well-intact come 1868.

I think a lot of people would be surprised to find out the extent of the pro-South sympathy that existed in California and Oregon. I found it both fascinating and weird when I found out the details of their 1860 margins. Lincoln carried them—that’s how they appeared on the map—but Lincoln only won the PV totals in California and Oregon with low pluralities (32% and 36% respectively), and only pulled it off thanks to Douglas and Breckinridge (and Bell to some extent in California) splitting the opposition on the West Coast.

It interesting that if you look at the maps of the 1860 election, you find Lincoln's West Coast coalition was pretty urban. He won the Bay Area in California and Portland in Oregon and that put him over the top in both states.

[Blow by blow, the passion dies]

It was McClellan's best state out west in 1864 as well with 46% to Lincoln's 53%. The Oregon legislature rescinded the 14th Amendment that year as well. Oregon settlement was unique in that unlike other Western states, Oregon had the explicit goal of being a white nationalist utopia.

Well, Breckinridge came with 2 points of carrying Oregon 8 years prior (Breckinridge’s running mate was a Democratic senator from Oregon, who was pro-slavery and pro-secession), so there could’ve been some holdover Democratic support still well-intact come 1868.

I think a lot of people would be surprised to find out the extent of the pro-South sympathy that existed in California and Oregon. I found it both fascinating and weird when I found out the details of their 1860 margins. Lincoln carried them—that’s how they appeared on the map—but Lincoln only won the PV totals in California and Oregon with low pluralities (32% and 36% respectively), and only pulled it off thanks to Douglas and Breckinridge (and Bell to some extent in California) splitting the opposition on the West Coast.

It interesting that if you look at the maps of the 1860 election, you find Lincoln's West Coast coalition was pretty urban. He won the Bay Area in California and Portland in Oregon and that put him over the top in both states.

It makes sense that some white supremacists support am ethnostate in the Pacific Northwest.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Seymour was probably the most openly racist major party candidate in American history, including the slaveowners.

[Senator Incitatus]

Seymour was probably the most openly racist major party candidate in American history, including the slaveowners.

I’m not sure that’s quite accurate. It’s hard to attribute the campaign slogans or platform to him personally and I can’t find much on his personal expressions on race.

He did probably have the most openly racist campaign as a product of where his party mood was at (though Buchanan may have him beat), but this was the era before personal campaigning and Seymour himself tried to refuse the nomination multiple times.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Interesting thread (unlike the “Describe x voter” threads that clog this subforum). Thanks,