1872 United States Presidential Election

The 1872 United States presidential election was the 22nd quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 5, 1872. President John Bidwell defeated John Adams Dix, the former President which was nominated by the Federal Republican Party, which was a coalition between the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party.

President Bidwell was unanimously re-nominated at the 1872 Labor National Convention, though his Vice President, Hendrick B, Wright, faced a tougher challenge to be re-nominated. The Federal Republican party was formed as a coalition between the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican party. It nominated former President John Adams Dix for the Presidency in a close convention battle.

Despite the coalition of Federalists and Democratic-Republicans, Dix was unable to appeal to enough voters, and the economic recovery seen under Bidwell was too hard to challenge. Bidwell was able to retain the Presidency and won 212 electoral votes to Dix's 175. Soon after the election, Dix returned to retirement and died in 1879.

Labor Party nomination
President John Bidwell faced no opposition when trying to win the nomination for the Presidency from the Labor Party, but his Vice President, Hendrick B. Wright, did face opposition. A faction in the Labor Party supported Leonidas L. Polk. Despite opposition from within his own party, Wright won the nomination on the first ballot.

Federal Republican Party nomination
Also see: 1872 Federal Republican National Convention

A coalition of the Democratic-Republican Party and the Federalist Party was created by David L. Yulee, after he also attempted to impeach Bidwell. The idea soon caught on, with Democratic-Republican leader Hannibal Hamlin and Federalist leader William Windom meeting to discuss the idea. The coalition of the two parties was expected to be short lived, but was able to hold, and won its first national election in 1876 with the election of James Longstreet. Former Presidents John Adams Dix, Henry S. Foote, and William Seward were all considered as options. Both Seward and Foote were quickly ruled out, due to Seward's large unpopularity and Foote's legal trouble after killing Jefferson Davis. Dix was then seen by many Democratic-Republicans as a shoo-in, though he still faced opposition. At the convention, multiple big names were there who were trying to take the nomination for themselves, which included: Dix, Charles F. Adams, Salmon P. Chase, James W. Flanagan, and others. All 8 ballots showed that there was significant opposition to Dix. Still, Dix was able to narrowly clinch the nomination on the eighth ballot, with former Vice President Henry T. Blow becoming Dix's running mate.

Results
Despite the coalition of Federalists and Democratic-Republicans, Dix was unable to appeal to enough voters, and the economic recovery seen under Bidwell was too hard to challenge. Bidwell was able to retain the Presidency, and won 212 electoral votes to Dix's 175. Soon after the election, Dix returned to retirement and died in 1879.