1896 United States presidential election in Georgia explained

See main article: 1896 United States presidential election.

Election Name:1896 United States presidential election in Georgia
Country:Georgia (U.S. state)
Flag Year:1879
Type:presidential
Vote Type:Popular
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1892 United States presidential election in Georgia
Previous Year:1892
Next Election:1900 United States presidential election in Georgia
Next Year:1900
Image1:William Jennings Bryan 2 (cropped).jpg
Nominee1:William Jennings Bryan
Party1:Democratic Party (United States)
Alliance1:Populist
Home State1:Nebraska
Running Mate1:Arthur Sewall
Electoral Vote1:13
Popular Vote1:93,885
Percentage1:57.78%
Nominee2:William McKinley
Party2:Republican Party (United States)
Home State2:Ohio
Running Mate2:Garret Hobart
Electoral Vote2:0
Popular Vote2:59,395
Percentage2:36.56%
Map Size:290px
President
Before Election:Grover Cleveland
Before Party:Democratic Party (United States)
Posttitle:Elected President
After Election:William McKinley
After Party:Republican Party (United States)

The 1896 United States presidential election in Georgia took place on November 3, 1896, as part of the wider United States presidential election. Voters chose 13 representatives, or electors, to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Following Reconstruction, Georgia would be the first former Confederate state to substantially disenfranchise its newly enfranchised freedmen and many poor whites, doing so in the early 1870s.[1] This largely limited the Republican Party to a few North Georgia counties with substantial Civil War Unionist sentiment – chiefly Fannin but also to a lesser extent Pickens, Gilmer and Towns[2] – and in presidential elections to a small number of counties elsewhere where blacks were not yet fully disenfranchised. The Democratic Party served as the guardian of white supremacy against a Republican Party historically associated with memories of Reconstruction, and the main competition became Democratic primaries, which were restricted to whites on the grounds of the Democratic Party being legally a private club.[3] This restriction was done by local county laws, but combined with the highly efficacious cumulative poll tax introduced in 1877 meant that turnout declined steadily throughout the 1880s,[4] unlike any other former Confederate state except South Carolina.

Georgia was won by the Democratic and Populist nominees, former Representative William Jennings Bryan and his running mate Arthur Sewall of Maine. They defeated the Republican nominees, former Ohio Governor William McKinley and his running mate Garret Hobart of New Jersey. Bryan won the state by a margin of 21.22%.

However, politics after the first demobilization was always chaotic. Third-party movements, chiefly the Populist Party, gained support amongst the remaining poor white and black voters in opposition to the planter elite.[5] Whereas the Republican Party had not contested a statewide election seriously since 1876,[6] the Populists made significant runs for governor in 1892, 1894 and 1896, which would have been stronger but for large scale Black Belt electoral fraud.[7] In the presidential race the state was hit by a dispute between state Populist leader Thomas E. Watson and Maine shipbuilder Arthur Sewall over the vice-presidential nomination, which led to Watson's frustration and fury increasing and failed to gain either candidate local support.[8]

The Populist political maneuvering, combined with past alliances of Republicans with the Populist movement, had the effect of increasing Georgia's Republican vote to the highest level seen in any presidential election since 1872 at the height of Reconstruction.[9] Nonetheless, McKinley never campaigned in Georgia, and Bryan still carried the state by over twenty-one points.

Bryan would later win Georgia again against William McKinley four years later and would win the state again in 1908 against William Howard Taft.

Results

1896 United States presidential election in Georgia[10]
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
DemocraticWilliam Jennings Bryan93,44557.51%13
PopulistWilliam Jennings Bryan4400.27%0
TotalWilliam Jennings Bryan93,88557.78%13
RepublicanWilliam McKinley59,39536.56%0
ProhibitionJoshua Levering5,4833.37%0
National DemocraticJohn M. Palmer3,6702.26%0
Write-insScattered470.03%0

Results by county

CountyWilliam Jennings Bryan[11]
Democratic
William McKinley
Republican
Joshua Levering
Prohibition
John McAuley Palmer
National Democratic
MarginTotal votes cast
data-sort-type="number"data-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"data-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"data-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"data-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"data-sort-type="number"%
Appling99666.89%48832.77%00.00%50.34%50834.12%1,489
Baker52788.87%6210.46%30.51%10.17%46578.41%593
Baldwin51652.98%41042.09%383.90%101.03%10610.88%974
Banks57955.73%38937.44%605.77%111.06%19018.29%1,039
Bartow1,02654.40%80842.84%311.64%211.11%21811.56%1,886
Berrien60665.80%25027.14%363.91%293.15%35638.65%921
Bibb1,85450.81%67018.36%1343.67%99127.16%86323.65%3,649
Brooks52851.56%42341.31%555.37%181.76%10510.25%1,024
Bryan25959.00%17138.95%30.68%61.37%8820.05%439
Bulloch1,04265.04%51131.90%402.50%90.56%53133.15%1,602
Burke1,41486.70%19311.83%140.86%100.61%1,22174.86%1,631
Butts58659.92%31732.41%757.67%00.00%26927.51%978
Calhoun40697.13%51.20%00.00%71.67%39995.45%418
Camden19044.08%20948.49%51.16%276.26%-19-4.41%431
Campbell43450.58%37743.94%424.90%50.58%576.64%858
Carroll1,49064.81%73331.88%713.09%50.22%75732.93%2,299
Catoosa55774.17%16121.44%253.33%81.07%39652.73%751
Chatham2,50652.64%1,69735.64%420.88%51610.84%80916.99%4,761
Chattahoochee15730.66%34968.16%61.17%00.00%-192-37.50%512
Chattooga91162.06%50034.06%463.13%110.75%41128.00%1,468
Cherokee71247.91%70247.24%724.85%00.00%100.67%1,486
Clarke70760.17%41935.66%191.62%302.55%28824.51%1,175
Clay24028.14%53462.60%708.21%91.06%-294-34.47%853
Clayton51650.74%47246.41%242.36%50.49%444.33%1,017
Clinch25753.10%21243.80%51.03%102.07%459.30%484
Cobb1,38761.97%75833.87%793.53%140.63%62928.11%2,238
Coffee42831.96%87365.20%382.84%00.00%-445-33.23%1,339
Colquitt36160.47%13522.61%6210.39%396.53%22637.86%597
Columbia19231.68%40166.17%101.65%30.50%-209-34.49%606
Coweta1,19666.74%57131.86%231.28%20.11%62534.88%1,792
Crawford36782.47%6213.93%163.60%00.00%30568.54%445
Dade32562.02%11020.99%173.24%7213.74%21541.03%524
Dawson32451.67%29046.25%132.07%00.00%345.42%627
DeKalb81560.24%43932.45%624.58%372.73%37627.79%1,353
Decatur97255.57%70040.02%573.26%201.14%27215.55%1,749
Dodge56859.66%31533.09%575.99%121.26%25326.58%952
Dooly95668.73%36526.24%684.89%20.14%59142.49%1,391
Dougherty40476.23%12022.64%10.19%50.94%28453.58%530
Douglas46341.30%64157.18%171.52%00.00%-178-15.88%1,121
Early59157.94%33632.94%454.41%484.71%25525.00%1,020
Echols17476.65%5222.91%10.44%00.00%12253.74%227
Effingham37260.29%20933.87%223.57%142.27%16326.42%617
Elbert13433.50%15538.75%9624.00%153.75%-21-5.25%400
Emanuel69051.69%50737.98%1128.39%261.95%18313.71%1,335
Fannin50735.43%92064.29%40.28%00.00%-413-28.86%1,431
Fayette56258.06%34535.64%596.10%20.21%21722.42%968
Floyd2,15064.68%1,11733.60%230.69%341.02%1,03331.08%3,324
Forsyth48262.60%25933.64%293.77%00.00%22328.96%770
Franklin59956.46%39236.95%646.03%60.57%20719.51%1,061
Fulton4,50457.01%3,00538.04%1501.90%2413.05%1,49918.97%7,900
Gilmer70658.40%50341.60%00.00%00.00%20316.79%1,209
Glascock15445.83%12236.31%5817.26%20.60%329.52%336
Glynn59260.72%35336.21%80.82%222.26%23924.51%975
Gordon87561.36%52336.68%271.89%10.07%35224.68%1,426
Greene57537.03%91058.60%593.80%90.58%-335-21.57%1,553
Gwinnett1,25057.84%77335.77%1155.32%231.06%47722.07%2,161
Habersham78271.81%24222.22%575.23%80.73%54049.59%1,089
Hall1,13461.36%58231.49%1075.79%251.35%55229.87%1,848
Hancock95285.69%12210.98%373.33%00.00%83074.71%1,111
Haralson46939.48%68657.74%322.69%10.08%-217-18.27%1,188
Harris91967.57%40229.56%392.87%00.00%51738.01%1,360
Hart73862.92%33928.90%917.76%50.43%39934.02%1,173
Heard62080.42%13817.90%111.43%20.26%48262.52%771
Henry56946.64%56846.56%685.57%151.23%10.08%1,220
Houston87580.35%19217.63%00.00%222.02%68362.72%1,089
Irwin62655.15%48642.82%151.32%80.70%14012.33%1,135
Jackson1,20556.36%70032.74%2069.64%271.26%50523.62%2,138
Jasper62883.96%11014.71%20.27%81.07%51869.25%748
Jefferson54158.17%22323.98%14815.91%181.94%31834.19%930
Johnson21345.03%23950.53%214.44%00.00%-26-5.50%473
Jones52157.13%37741.34%90.99%50.55%14415.79%912
Laurens57049.61%51444.73%655.66%00.00%564.87%1,149
Lee28563.62%16336.38%00.00%00.00%12227.23%448
Liberty23726.60%64672.50%00.00%80.90%-409-45.90%891
Lincoln23961.28%7318.72%7820.00%00.00%16141.28%390
Lowndes58649.87%53645.62%00.00%534.51%504.26%1,175
Lumpkin43648.39%45650.61%50.55%40.44%-20-2.22%901
Macon51158.87%28632.95%525.99%192.19%22525.92%868
Madison67280.96%14116.99%00.00%172.05%53163.98%830
Marion22333.28%40961.04%324.78%60.90%-186-27.76%670
McDuffie13823.35%40167.85%315.25%213.55%-263-44.50%591
McIntosh23429.25%53867.25%91.13%192.38%-304-38.00%800
Meriwether99148.60%94646.40%914.46%110.54%452.21%2,039
Miller31580.56%5514.07%205.12%10.26%26066.50%391
Milton42862.48%22733.14%263.80%40.58%20129.34%685
Mitchell43754.56%26833.46%658.11%313.87%16921.10%801
Monroe72956.47%41932.46%1299.99%141.08%31024.01%1,291
Montgomery50351.22%44144.91%282.85%101.02%626.31%982
Morgan62942.13%81954.86%412.75%40.27%-190-12.73%1,493
Murray55762.44%32336.21%121.35%00.00%23426.23%892
Muscogee1,36568.28%50125.06%251.25%1085.40%86443.22%1,999
Newton97360.47%58036.05%291.80%271.68%39324.43%1,609
Oconee33047.90%35851.96%10.15%00.00%-28-4.06%689
Oglethorpe1,24288.21%1067.53%533.76%70.50%1,13680.68%1,408
Paulding62750.56%55244.52%584.68%30.24%756.05%1,240
Pickens45839.79%69360.21%00.00%00.00%-235-20.42%1,151
Pierce32952.98%21534.62%355.64%426.76%11418.36%621
Pike89052.05%72442.34%694.04%271.58%1669.71%1,710
Polk56739.79%81056.84%130.91%352.46%-243-17.05%1,425
Pulaski75582.60%13214.44%161.75%111.20%62368.16%914
Putnam43892.41%20.42%194.01%153.16%41988.40%474
Quitman18137.32%28057.73%193.92%51.03%-99-20.41%485
Rabun40478.14%10119.54%50.97%71.35%30358.61%517
Randolph62758.00%38435.52%494.53%211.94%24322.48%1,081
Richmond3,71665.78%1,69830.06%961.70%1392.46%2,01835.72%5,649
Rockdale47348.96%48350.00%00.00%101.04%-10-1.04%966
Schley26644.11%32754.23%101.66%00.00%-61-10.12%603
Screven58548.67%54245.09%756.24%00.00%433.58%1,202
Spalding61268.76%23926.85%131.46%262.92%37341.91%890
Stewart63572.82%21324.43%131.49%111.26%42248.39%872
Sumter1,09472.07%37124.44%281.84%251.65%72347.63%1,518
Talbot47272.84%15624.07%142.16%60.93%31648.77%648
Taliaferro22141.23%26148.69%529.70%20.37%-40-7.46%536
Tattnall51740.71%60047.24%856.69%685.35%-83-6.54%1,270
Taylor23741.00%30953.46%305.19%20.35%-72-12.46%578
Telfair58058.88%35035.53%545.48%10.10%23023.35%985
Terrell80960.42%46734.88%544.03%90.67%34225.54%1,339
Thomas60042.13%62043.54%755.27%1299.06%-20-1.40%1,424
Towns34053.21%29946.79%00.00%00.00%416.42%639
Troup87879.67%19918.06%222.00%30.27%67961.62%1,102
Twiggs39775.62%12824.38%00.00%00.00%26951.24%525
Union56056.06%41941.94%202.00%00.00%14114.11%999
Upson59152.53%49844.27%353.11%10.09%938.27%1,125
Walker1,04562.99%56934.30%261.57%191.15%47628.69%1,659
Walton1,00156.24%72640.79%341.91%191.07%27515.45%1,780
Ware54559.63%33036.11%151.64%242.63%21523.52%914
Warren27932.33%45853.07%12614.60%00.00%-179-20.74%863
Washington92545.72%1,02350.57%643.16%110.54%-98-4.84%2,023
Wayne47761.79%26634.46%293.76%00.00%21127.33%772
Webster24655.91%19143.41%00.00%30.68%5512.50%440
White27459.05%15934.27%265.60%51.08%11524.78%464
Whitfield85759.51%49434.31%563.89%332.29%36325.21%1,440
Wilcox62379.87%14518.59%50.64%70.90%47861.28%780
Wilkes1,06381.64%1047.99%1007.68%352.69%95973.66%1,302
Wilkinson61055.61%47643.39%90.82%20.18%13412.22%1,097
Worth52848.93%44741.43%918.43%131.20%817.51%1,079
Totals93,44557.68%59,39536.67%5,4833.38%3,6702.27%34,05021.02%161,993

See also

Notes and References

  1. Mickey, Robert W.; Paths Out of Dixie: The Democratization of Authoritarian Enclaves in America's Deep South, 1944-1972, p. 76
  2. [Kevin Phillips (political commentator)|Phillips, Kevin P.]
  3. Springer, Melanie Jean; How the States Shaped the Nation: American Electoral Institutions and Voter Turnout, 1920-2000, p. 155
  4. Kousser, J. Morgan; The Shaping of Southern Politics Suffrage Restriction and the Establishment of the One-Party South, 1880-1910, p. 213
  5. Mickey, Robert W.; ‘The Beginning of the End for Authoritarian Rule in America: Smith v. Allwright and the Abolition of the White Primary in the Deep South, 1944-1948’; Studies in American Political Development, Vol. 22 (Fall 2008), pp. 143-182.
  6. Kousser; The Shaping of Southern Politics, p. 211
  7. Kousser; The Shaping of Southern Politics, p. 214
  8. [Durden, Robert Franklin]
  9. Lindeen, James W.; ‘Longitudinal Analysis of Republican Presidential Electoral Trends, 1896-1968’; Midwest Journal of Political Science, Vol. 16, No. 1 (Feb., 1972), pp. 102-122
  10. Web site: Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas. 1896 Presidential General Election Results – Georgia.
  11. Web site: Géoelections. Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1896. (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)