1888 United States Presidential Election

The 1888 United States presidential election was the 26th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 7, 1888. It saw dark horse candidate Henry George, a Orator, Economist, and Mayor of New York City defeat Frederick Douglass, a former Senator from New York for the Presidency. It also saw the fracturing of both parties, with Anti-Georgist Farmer-Laborites nominating and supporting former President John Bidwell, and Anti-Douglass Federal Republicans supporting former President Edward S. Bragg

The Farmer-Labor Party nominated dark horse candidate Henry George in a surprising upset, causing the bolt of Prohibitionists and Socialists in the party. The Federal Republican Party nominated orator and former Senator Frederick Douglass, which caused yet another bolt of Federal Republicans who opposed nominating an African American, and they nominated Former President Edward S. Bragg.

The campaign on all sides of the Election was considered rough, with questionable tactics being used by supporters of both sides. George supporters were accused of buying votes, but George supporters also accused Douglass and Bidwell supporters of doing the same thing.

Henry George narrowly won the Presidency, but it was extremely close, as he won with 46% of the popular vote, and 221 votes in the electoral college, giving him a slim majority. Douglass won 44% of the popular vote, and 199 electoral votes. Bidwell came in a distant third, winning 6% of the popular vote, and won 24 electoral votes. Some Federal Republicans demanded recounts in New York and for the Supreme Court to get involved, though the demands quickly faded away.

Farmer-Labor Party nomination
President Lyman Trumbull, like expected, announced he would not run for a third term amidst growing unpopularity. The convention had a long list of candidates, which included: Daniel L. Russell, Richard F. Pettigrew, Adelbert Ames, John P. St. Johns, James G. Field and others. Surprisingly, on the first and only ballot, dark horse candidate Henry George won the nomination swiftly. George was the Mayor of New York City, and was famous for being an orator and for his idea of a Land Value tax to replace all other taxes, which he implemented in New York City to great success. Jerry Simpson, a Georgist from Nebraska, was chosen as his running mate.

A group of Farmer-Laborites who were opposed to the Land Value tax and George himself bolted, and created the National Party, which nominated former President John Bidwell for the Presidency in opposition to George. Despite the Farmer-Laborite split, George was able to clinch the election and became President.

Federal Republican Party nomination
The Federal Republican convention was filled with big names like John D. White, John Sherman, Shelby M. Cullom, and others. Though, Frederick Douglas, an orator and former Senator from New York was able to obtain a slim majority on the second ballot in an upset. Douglass was the first African American to be chosen as the nominee of a major party in the United States. The former Governor of Ohio, William McKinley, was chosen as his running mate, though progressives also campaign for William M.O. Dawson to be Douglass' running mate. A group of Federal Republicans who opposed Douglass due to him being an African American bolted, and nominated former President Edward S. Bragg for the Presidency.

National
A group of Farmer-Laborites who were opposed to the nomination of Henry George bolted form the Farmer-Labor Party, and thus created the short lived National Party. Some progressive Federal Republicans joined the party like John D. White, but it was mostly a coalition of Prohibitionists and Socialists. It nominated former President John Bidwell for the Presidency, and nominated Frances Willard to be his running mate, making her the first woman to be a running mate on a major party ticket.

Redshirt
Some Federal Republicans were upset that an African American was nominated for the Presidency, thus causing that group to bolt. They nominated former President Edward S. Bragg for the Presidency. Bragg did poorly in the election, winning no states, but was able to be a spoiler against Douglass, likely causing him to lose.

Results
Henry George narrowly won the Presidency with 46% of the popular vote, and 221 votes in the electoral college, giving him a slim majority. Douglass won 44% of the popular vote, and 199 electoral votes. Bidwell came in a distant third, winning 6% of the popular vote, and won 24 electoral votes. The election has the highest voter turnout in American History, with voter turnout being 94.9%.