When a historical figure is totally wrong about a major issue, like slavery, some people try to use the catch phrase, “he’s stupid.” Doing that, however, totally ignores the truth sometimes and does not allow us to learn about the mistakes that smart people have made in the past. One such case was John Breckinridge. John Breckinridge is to date the youngest man every to hold the office of Vice President of the United Sates. He was only 36 years old when he became vice president under James Buchanan in 1857. The issue of slavery broke up the Whig political party in the early 1850s. It was threatening to break up the Democratic Party in 1860 when they met for their presidential nominating convention in Charlestown, South Carolina. The front runner was Illinois senator Stephen Douglas, but the southern delegates didn’t like him. Douglas based his presidential hopes on the concept of Popular Sovereignty, which held that that the citizens of a territory, which was looking to become a state, should have to right vote if they wanted slavery in their state. The idea had already blown up in Douglas’ face. In Kansas, there had been mini civil war over the issue, but Douglas was undaunted. He still pushed Popular Sovereignty. Here is an 1860 Stephen Douglas campaign token. By 1860, the southern “fire eaters” didn’t want Popular Sovereignty. They wanted a presidential candidate who supported slavery and the spread of it to new territories with no reservations. Although Douglas had a majority of the convention delegates, he did not have the two-thirds majority he needed to get the nomination. The Democrats polled their convention for 57 ballots without a result. Finally they adjourned and agreed to meet again in Baltimore. There Douglas won the nomination, after the southern walked out. The southerners met elsewhere in the city and nominated Breckinridge for president. The Democrats were now split. Breckinridge campaign items are relatively few in number and all scarce. Here are a few of them. The is the one Breckenridge token that mentions an issue, "Our country and our rights" ... to own slaves. Here is a Breckinridge ferrortype. These were the first political pieces to have actual pictures of the candidate on them. The pictures were printed on thin pieces of iron. Paper was too weak to stand the chemicals that were used to print the pictures. The reverse is Senator Joseph Lane, who was Breckenridge's running mate. He was from Oregon, but his roots were in the South. Here is a rare jugate ferrotype which shows Breckinridge and Lane side by side. This piece is listed as a Civil War Token and a political piece. It was made by Benjamin True from Cincinnati. This piece is quite scarce. Here is a Wealth of the South token, which was issued before the Civil War. There are several varieties of these pieces, and this is one of the rare ones. This piece does not mention Breckinridge by name, but political collectors associate it with him. This is as outspoken for the southern cause as any token could be before and ruing the Civil War. Here is an Abbott & Co. photo frame for Breckinridge. This company issued many such pieces for famous people during the Civil War era. Breckinridge finished second to Lincoln in the Electoral College vote and third in the popular vote. After the election, he wanted to take a senate seat, to which he had been elected, in Washington, but the rest of the senate wouldn't hear of it. Breckinridge thought that the South should be allowed to leave the Union in peace. An arrest warrant was issued for Breckinridge's arrest. He fled south and joined the Confederate Army. He became a successful general in the Confederate Army who usually reported to other generals. His one victory that he led on his own was a New Market, Virginia. Toward the end of the war, Jefferson Davis appointed him to be the Confederate Secretary of War. When the South fell, Breckinridge fled with the other Confederate Government officials. He alluded capture, but he caught malaria while hiding out in Florida. It broke his health. After a brief time out of the United States, he returned an practiced law. He died in 1875.
Great story and photos. I am from Kentucky originally, and Breckenridge county is named after John C. Breckenridge. I did look that up to be sure. In our country today I am surprised I haven't read or seen on the news some have not attempted to have the county renamed. Love these historical posts you make, thanks, .
There was also a Camp Breckenridge at Morganfield Kentucky that was used by the Army during WW2. My dad spent a short amount of time there training. It also held thousands of German POW's during the war.
Fantastic post. I’d never heard of him before and thoroughly enjoyed the write up and the exonumia. Thank you.
Great story. I knew if Breckinridge and his run for president and as a confederate general but this gave me far more information than I had known. And the political collectibles are amazing.
