1896 United States presidential election in Missouri explained

See main article: 1896 United States presidential election.

Election Name:1896 United States presidential election in Missouri
Country:Missouri
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1892 United States presidential election in Missouri
Previous Year:1892
Next Election:1900 United States presidential election in Missouri
Next Year:1900
Election Date:November 3, 1896
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
(Democratic)
Thomas E. Watson
(Populist)
Electoral Vote1:17
Popular Vote1:363,667
Percentage1:53.96%
Nominee2:William McKinley
Party2:Republican Party (United States)
Home State2:Ohio
Running Mate2:Garret Hobart
Electoral Vote2:0
Popular Vote2:304,940
Percentage2:45.25%
Map Size:340px
President
Before Election:Grover Cleveland
Before Party:Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:William McKinley
After Party:Republican Party (United States)

The 1896 United States presidential election in Missouri took place on November 3, 1896. All contemporary 45 states were part of the 1896 United States presidential election. Voters chose 17 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

Missouri was won by the Democratic nominees, former U.S. Representative William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska and his running mate Arthur Sewall of Maine. Four electors cast their vice presidential ballots for Thomas E. Watson. Unlike in the more easterly border states, Bryan's "free silver" platform had very substantial appeal in the Unionist but highly populist Ozark "Bible Belt".[1] This was seen in that Missouri had in Richard P. Bland that earliest advocate of that monetary policy in Congress,[2] and that only one vote had been cast in 1893 in Missouri against free silver, and that in St. Louis.[3] Although all but one of Missouri's pro-silver members had reversed course by the time of the presidential election, the state was still hit much more than the Old Northwest and upper Mississippi Valley by farmers' debts from falling prices and crop failures since 1887.[4] Despite opposition by the St. Louis Globe-Democrat to Bryan's free silver policies,[4] Bryan gained strongly via capture of James B. Weaver's support base from the 1892 and 1880 elections in the strongly Baptist southwest, which was enough to counter Catholic defections from Grover Cleveland in St. Louis and surrounds.[5] Bryan won Missouri by a margin of 8.71%.

This is the only election since the Civil War where Douglas County voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.[6] Bryan was also the first Democrat since James Buchanan in 1856 to carry Dade, Dallas, Jasper, Lawrence, Polk and Wright Counties.[5]

Bryan would win Missouri again against McKinley four years later but would later lose the state in 1908 to William Howard Taft.

Results

1896 United States presidential election in Missouri[7]
PartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
DemocraticWilliam Jennings Bryan363,66753.96%13
PopulistWilliam Jennings Bryan00.00%4
TotalWilliam Jennings Bryan363,66753.96%17
RepublicanWilliam McKinley304,94045.25%0
National DemocraticJohn M. Palmer2,3650.35%0
ProhibitionJoshua Levering2,0430.30%0
Socialist LaborCharles H. Matchett5990.09%0
National ProhibitionCharles E. Bentley2920.04%0
Totals673,906100.00%17
Voter turnout

Results by county

1896 United States presidential election in Missouri by county[8]
County
Democratic

Republican

Margin
%%%%
Adair2,31148.71%2,40250.63%310.65%-91-1.92%4,744
Andrew2,19148.90%2,25250.26%380.85%-61-1.36%4,481
Atchison2,27258.18%1,58740.64%461.18%68517.54%3,905
Audrain3,98470.79%1,60928.59%350.62%2,37542.20%5,628
Barry3,15157.37%2,32042.24%210.38%83115.13%5,492
Barton2,82464.02%1,49633.92%912.06%1,32830.11%4,411
Bates5,07365.64%2,52232.63%1331.72%2,55133.01%7,728
Benton1,76246.59%1,95751.75%631.67%-195-5.16%3,782
Bollinger1,48553.77%1,27246.05%50.18%2137.71%2,762
Boone5,07574.39%1,70524.99%420.62%3,37049.40%6,822
Buchanan7,33651.17%6,85447.81%1471.03%4823.36%14,337
Butler1,74351.37%1,63548.19%150.44%1083.18%3,393
Caldwell2,05348.71%2,11550.18%471.12%-62-1.47%4,215
Callaway4,35869.42%1,84929.45%711.13%2,50939.96%6,278
Camden1,28748.92%1,32650.40%180.68%-39-1.48%2,631
2,47349.42%2,48249.60%490.98%-9-0.18%5,004
Carroll3,55550.91%3,36348.16%650.93%1922.75%6,983
Carter61155.19%48343.63%131.17%12811.56%1,107
Cass3,97563.31%2,22935.50%751.19%1,74627.81%6,279
Cedar2,40055.87%1,88143.78%150.35%51912.08%4,296
Chariton4,32164.49%2,35935.21%200.30%1,96229.28%6,700
Christian1,72946.49%1,98353.32%70.19%-254-6.83%3,719
Clark2,10751.67%1,95347.89%180.44%1543.78%4,078
Clay4,07180.42%92418.25%671.32%3,14762.17%5,062
Clinton2,61058.74%1,79240.33%410.92%81818.41%4,443
Cole2,19851.39%2,03347.53%461.08%1653.86%4,277
Cooper3,02852.56%2,71147.06%220.38%3175.50%5,761
Crawford1,38348.66%1,44750.91%120.42%-64-2.25%2,842
Dade2,36356.54%1,79743.00%190.45%56613.54%4,179
Dallas1,52550.71%1,46648.75%160.53%591.96%3,007
Daviess3,12556.77%2,33042.33%500.91%79514.44%5,505
DeKalb2,16757.24%1,59042.00%290.77%57715.24%3,786
Dent1,49357.69%1,08742.00%80.31%40615.69%2,588
Douglas1,70051.41%1,59848.32%90.27%1023.08%3,307
Dunklin2,97575.47%96124.38%60.15%2,01451.09%3,942
Franklin2,90443.18%3,79756.46%240.36%-893-13.28%6,725
Gasconade51518.88%2,18580.10%281.03%-1,670-61.22%2,728
Gentry2,90658.67%2,00040.38%470.95%90618.29%4,953
Greene6,32751.83%5,80847.58%720.59%5194.25%12,207
Grundy1,67537.41%2,77862.05%240.54%-1,103-24.64%4,477
Harrison2,58246.30%2,95653.00%390.70%-374-6.71%5,577
Henry4,44257.41%3,23441.79%620.80%1,20815.61%7,738
Hickory1,04546.51%1,19453.14%80.36%-149-6.63%2,247
Holt2,03645.40%2,39753.44%521.16%-361-8.05%4,485
Howard3,31770.60%1,35328.80%280.60%1,96441.81%4,698
Howell2,37355.21%1,89244.02%330.77%48111.19%4,298
Iron1,01662.33%60737.24%70.43%40925.09%1,630
Jackson20,70551.94%18,71146.94%4461.12%1,9945.00%39,862
Jasper7,02658.69%4,83540.39%1110.93%2,19118.30%11,972
Jefferson2,78548.87%2,87650.46%380.67%-91-1.60%5,699
Johnson4,24056.48%3,21942.88%480.64%1,02113.60%7,507
Knox2,18563.04%1,24635.95%351.01%93927.09%3,466
Laclede2,12056.52%1,59842.60%330.88%52213.92%3,751
Lafayette4,46356.49%3,37542.72%630.80%1,08813.77%7,901
Lawrence3,36952.85%2,96246.46%440.69%4076.38%6,375
Lewis2,62461.87%1,58137.28%360.85%1,04324.59%4,241
Lincoln3,00365.51%1,56434.12%170.37%1,43931.39%4,584
Linn3,32752.07%3,01547.18%480.75%3124.88%6,390
Livingston3,35157.81%2,37741.00%691.19%97416.80%5,797
Macon4,47355.88%3,47543.41%570.71%99812.47%8,005
Madison1,25661.33%78038.09%120.59%47623.24%2,048
Maries1,38571.54%54628.20%50.26%83943.34%1,936
Marion4,00859.30%2,69939.93%520.77%1,30919.37%6,759
McDonald1,67662.37%99837.14%130.48%67825.23%2,687
Mercer1,40541.42%1,95857.72%290.85%-553-16.30%3,392
Miller1,69449.62%1,70750.00%130.38%-13-0.38%3,414
Mississippi1,67360.77%1,07439.01%60.22%59921.76%2,753
Moniteau2,09656.54%1,58042.62%310.84%51613.92%3,707
Monroe4,37982.72%89216.85%230.43%3,48765.87%5,294
Montgomery2,27253.41%1,92045.13%621.46%3528.27%4,254
Morgan1,62854.18%1,36645.46%110.37%2628.72%3,005
1,63977.27%48022.63%20.09%1,15954.64%2,121
Newton3,02957.50%2,17441.27%651.23%85516.23%5,268
Nodaway4,57756.68%3,43742.56%610.76%1,14014.12%8,075
Oregon1,78375.39%57624.36%60.25%1,20751.04%2,365
Osage1,45645.61%1,70053.26%361.13%-244-7.64%3,192
Ozark1,02546.17%1,18753.47%80.36%-162-7.30%2,220
Pemiscot1,26077.87%35521.94%30.19%90555.93%1,618
Perry1,45048.17%1,52250.56%381.26%-72-2.39%3,010
Pettis4,26750.40%4,11948.65%810.96%1481.75%8,467
Phelps1,81663.32%1,03836.19%140.49%77827.13%2,868
Pike3,83956.78%2,88442.66%380.56%95514.13%6,761
Platte3,19174.80%1,04424.47%310.73%2,14750.33%4,266
Polk2,71151.09%2,56448.32%310.58%1472.77%5,306
Pulaski1,41063.63%80236.19%40.18%60827.44%2,216
Putnam1,37636.64%2,36362.93%160.43%-987-26.28%3,755
Ralls2,29773.60%81426.08%100.32%1,48347.52%3,121
Randolph4,09765.01%2,16234.31%430.68%1,93530.70%6,302
Ray3,94565.60%2,00333.31%661.10%1,94232.29%6,014
Reynolds1,01572.34%38527.44%30.21%63044.90%1,403
Ripley1,44265.69%74934.12%40.18%69331.57%2,195
2,44843.32%3,17356.15%300.53%-725-12.83%5,651
2,68659.19%1,82940.30%230.51%85718.88%4,538
2,24557.17%1,66442.37%180.46%58114.80%3,927
3,40335.12%6,21064.09%760.78%-2,807-28.97%9,689
50,09142.81%65,70856.16%1,1971.02%-15,617-13.35%116,996
1,24557.83%90341.94%50.23%34215.88%2,153
Saline5,61564.16%3,05034.85%870.99%2,56529.31%8,752
Schuyler1,59257.87%1,13141.11%281.02%46116.76%2,751
Scotland2,07762.96%1,20336.47%190.58%87426.49%3,299
Scott1,90671.60%75128.21%50.19%1,15543.39%2,662
Shannon1,18663.09%68936.65%50.27%49726.44%1,880
Shelby2,85068.56%1,27530.67%320.77%1,57537.89%4,157
Stoddard2,96864.90%1,58434.64%210.46%1,38430.26%4,573
Stone82742.89%1,09456.74%70.36%-267-13.85%1,928
Sullivan2,45150.26%2,39349.07%330.68%581.19%4,877
Taney92547.29%1,02452.35%70.36%-99-5.06%1,956
Texas2,67259.67%1,78539.86%210.47%88719.81%4,478
Vernon5,13369.12%2,23030.03%630.85%2,90339.09%7,426
Warren69129.06%1,68070.65%70.29%-989-41.59%2,378
Washington1,45848.45%1,54751.41%40.13%-89-2.96%3,009
Wayne1,56852.13%1,41847.14%220.73%1504.99%3,008
Webster1,98554.12%1,66645.42%170.46%3198.70%3,668
Worth1,24858.21%88541.28%110.51%36316.93%2,144
Wright1,77750.20%1,75549.58%80.23%220.62%3,540
Totals363,66753.96%304,93045.24%5,4220.80%58,7378.71%674,019

See also

Notes and References

  1. Hoffmann, Charles; 'The Depression of the Nineties'; Journal of Economic History (1956); vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 137-164
  2. Clevenger, Homer; 'Missouri Becomes a Doubtful State'; The Mississippi Valley Historical Review, vol. 29, no. 4 (March 1943), pp. 541-556
  3. Haynes, Frederick Emory; 'The New Sectionalism'; The Quarterly Journal of Economics, vol. 10, no. 3 (April 1896), pp. 269-295
  4. Fite, Gilbert C.; 'Republican Strategy and the Farm Vote in the Presidential Campaign of 1896'; The American Historical Review, vol. 65, no. 4 (July 1960), pp. 787-806
  5. Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, p. 31
  6. Menendez; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, pp. 239-246
  7. Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; Presidential General Election Results – Missouri
  8. Robinson, Edgar Eugene; The Presidential Vote 1896-1932, pp. 247-256