1896 United States presidential election in Tennessee

The 1896 United States presidential election in Tennessee took place on November 3, 1896. All contemporary 45 states were part of the 1896 United States presidential election. Tennessee voters chose 12 electors to the Electoral College, which selected the president and vice president.

1896 United States presidential election in Tennessee

← 1892 November 3, 1896 1900 →
 
Nominee William Jennings Bryan William McKinley
Party Democratic Republican
Alliance Populist
Home state Nebraska Ohio
Running mate Arthur Sewall Garret Hobart
Electoral vote 12 0
Popular vote 167,168 148,683
Percentage 52.09% 46.33%

County results

President before election

Grover Cleveland
Democratic

Elected President

William McKinley
Republican

For over a century after the Civil War, Tennessee’s white citizenry was divided according to partisan loyalties established in that war. Unionist regions covering almost all of East Tennessee, Kentucky Pennyroyal-allied Macon County, and the five West Tennessee Highland Rim counties of Carroll, Henderson, McNairy, Hardin and Wayne[1] voted Republican – generally by landslide margins – as they saw the Democratic Party as the “war party” who had forced them into a war they did not wish to fight.[2] Contrariwise, the rest of Middle and West Tennessee who had supported and driven the state’s secession was equally fiercely Democratic as it associated the Republicans with Reconstruction.[3] After the state’s white landowning class re-established its rule in the early 1870s, black and Unionist white combined to forge adequate support for the GOP to produce a competitive political system for two decades,[4] although during this era the Republicans could only capture statewide offices when the Democratic Party was divided on this issue of payment of state debt.[4]

White Democrats in West Tennessee were always aiming to eliminate black political influence, which they first attempted to do by election fraud in the middle 1880s and did so much more successfully at the end of that decade by instituting in counties with significant black populations a secret ballot that prevented illiterates voting,[5] and a poll tax throughout the state, which cut turnout by at least a third in the 1890s.[6] This poll tax was supposedly relaxed or paid by party officials in Unionist Republican areas,[6] where whites were much poorer than in secessionist areas.

The mid-1890s Populist movement did not affect Tennessee so much as other southern states, with the party never cracking 12 percent in any biennial gubernatorial election. Although the state’s poll tax had already reduced the Republican black and poor white electorate, Democratic managers were unsure about carrying Tennessee in late October, because it was felt that urban businessmen would desert the party in sufficient numbers for McKinley to come close to carrying the state.[7] Polls the day before the election suggested Tennessee would be exceedingly close,[8] but as it turned out Bryan would carry the state relatively easily by nearly six points, which was still a decline upon recent Democratic performances despite a quantitatively reduced Republican electorate.

Tennessee would be won by the Democratic and Populist nominees, former Representative of Nebraska 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 5.76%.

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

Results

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1896 United States presidential election in Tennessee[9]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic William Jennings Bryan 162,643 50.68% 12
Populist William Jennings Bryan 4,525 1.41% 0
Total William Jennings Bryan 67,168 52.09% 12
Republican William McKinley 148,683 46.33% 0
Prohibition Joshua Levering 3,099 0.97% 0
National Democratic John M. Palmer 1,953 0.61% 0
Totals 320,903 100.00% 12
Voter turnout

Results by county

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1896 United States presidential election in Tennessee by county[10]
County William Jennings Bryan
Democratic
William McKinley
Republican
Joshua Levering
Prohibition
John McAuley Palmer
National Democratic
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # %
Anderson 745 24.87% 2,224 74.23% 5 0.17% 22 0.73% -1,479 -49.37% 2,996
Bedford 2,596 53.34% 2,151 44.20% 50 1.03% 70 1.44% 445 9.14% 4,867
Benton 1,465 65.20% 769 34.22% 12 0.53% 1 0.04% 696 30.97% 2,247
Bledsoe 478 37.49% 785 61.57% 0 0.00% 12 0.94% -307 -24.08% 1,275
Blount 970 26.41% 2,652 72.20% 48 1.31% 3 0.08% -1,682 -45.79% 3,673
Bradley 1,057 37.32% 1,725 60.91% 45 1.59% 5 0.18% -668 -23.59% 2,832
Campbell 571 19.14% 2,389 80.06% 13 0.44% 11 0.37% -1,818 -60.92% 2,984
Cannon 1,276 61.82% 778 37.69% 0 0.00% 10 0.48% 498 24.13% 2,064
Carroll 2,293 46.45% 2,577 52.20% 61 1.24% 6 0.12% -284 -5.75% 4,937
Carter 445 13.87% 2,700 84.14% 35 1.09% 29 0.90% -2,255 -70.27% 3,209
Cheatham 1,237 69.81% 496 27.99% 9 0.51% 30 1.69% 741 41.82% 1,772
Chester 1,078 63.37% 607 35.68% 14 0.82% 2 0.12% 471 27.69% 1,701
Claiborne 1,152 33.90% 2,230 65.63% 8 0.24% 8 0.24% -1,078 -31.72% 3,398
Clay 836 59.42% 548 38.95% 22 1.56% 1 0.07% 288 20.47% 1,407
Cocke 980 27.47% 2,582 72.39% 0 0.00% 5 0.14% -1,602 -44.91% 3,567
Coffee 1,891 72.42% 639 24.47% 52 1.99% 29 1.11% 1,252 47.95% 2,611
Crockett 1,665 58.12% 1,166 40.70% 34 1.19% 0 0.00% 499 17.42% 2,865
Cumberland 418 34.12% 800 65.31% 1 0.08% 6 0.49% -382 -31.18% 1,225
Davidson 7,511 54.99% 5,720 41.88% 159 1.16% 269 1.97% 1,791 13.11% 13,659
DeKalb 1,626 49.39% 1,633 49.61% 28 0.85% 5 0.15% -7 -0.21% 3,292
Decatur 997 52.78% 890 47.11% 2 0.11% 0 0.00% 107 5.66% 1,889
Dickson 1,976 68.92% 841 29.33% 36 1.26% 14 0.49% 1,135 39.59% 2,867
Dyer 2,589 73.63% 868 24.69% 44 1.25% 15 0.43% 1,721 48.95% 3,516
Fayette 2,373 63.79% 1,316 35.38% 9 0.24% 22 0.59% 1,057 28.41% 3,720
Fentress 301 27.17% 798 72.02% 0 0.00% 9 0.81% -497 -44.86% 1,108
Franklin 2,584 73.79% 834 23.81% 50 1.43% 34 0.97% 1,750 49.97% 3,502
Gibson 4,203 65.87% 1,955 30.64% 216 3.39% 7 0.11% 2,248 35.23% 6,381
Giles 3,992 62.32% 2,372 37.03% 21 0.33% 21 0.33% 1,620 25.29% 6,406
Grainger 1,002 34.91% 1,863 64.91% 5 0.17% 0 0.00% -861 -30.00% 2,870
Greene 2,726 42.83% 3,577 56.21% 53 0.83% 8 0.13% -851 -13.37% 6,364
Grundy 997 75.99% 286 21.80% 17 1.30% 12 0.91% 711 54.19% 1,312
Hamblen 1,033 40.18% 1,506 58.58% 27 1.05% 5 0.19% -473 -18.40% 2,571
Hamilton 3,729 44.32% 4,468 53.10% 121 1.44% 96 1.14% -739 -8.78% 8,414
Hancock 456 23.35% 1,490 76.29% 7 0.36% 0 0.00% -1,034 -52.94% 1,953
Hardeman 2,234 60.25% 1,427 38.48% 1 0.03% 46 1.24% 807 21.76% 3,708
Hardin 1,332 37.99% 2,165 61.75% 7 0.20% 2 0.06% -833 -23.76% 3,506
Hawkins 1,723 37.65% 2,824 61.71% 13 0.28% 16 0.35% -1,101 -24.06% 4,576
Haywood 2,392 78.79% 624 20.55% 2 0.07% 18 0.59% 1,768 58.23% 3,036
Henderson 1,316 39.11% 2,009 59.70% 40 1.19% 0 0.00% -693 -20.59% 3,365
Henry 3,077 67.17% 1,473 32.15% 14 0.31% 17 0.37% 1,604 35.01% 4,581
Hickman 1,553 60.52% 988 38.50% 13 0.51% 12 0.47% 565 22.02% 2,566
Houston 896 70.16% 343 26.86% 23 1.80% 15 1.17% 553 43.30% 1,277
Humphreys 1,604 76.93% 465 22.30% 10 0.48% 6 0.29% 1,139 54.63% 2,085
Jackson 1,752 69.88% 754 30.08% 0 0.00% 1 0.04% 998 39.81% 2,507
James 327 33.37% 647 66.02% 4 0.41% 2 0.20% -320 -32.65% 980
Jefferson 902 25.32% 2,638 74.06% 9 0.25% 13 0.36% -1,736 -48.74% 3,562
Johnson 224 11.72% 1,683 88.02% 5 0.26% 0 0.00% -1,459 -76.31% 1,912
Knox 4,020 38.52% 6,243 59.83% 117 1.12% 55 0.53% -2,223 -21.30% 10,435
Lake 811 85.01% 126 13.21% 11 1.15% 6 0.63% 685 71.80% 954
Lauderdale 2,244 74.97% 709 23.69% 7 0.23% 33 1.10% 1,535 51.29% 2,993
Lawrence 1,376 53.21% 1,203 46.52% 0 0.00% 7 0.27% 173 6.69% 2,586
Lewis 329 61.73% 204 38.27% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 125 23.45% 533
Lincoln 3,269 73.94% 992 22.44% 120 2.71% 40 0.90% 2,277 51.50% 4,421
Loudon 594 28.91% 1,447 70.41% 11 0.54% 3 0.15% -853 -41.51% 2,055
Macon 869 39.63% 1,324 60.37% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -455 -20.75% 2,193
Madison 3,701 77.80% 1,024 21.53% 17 0.36% 15 0.32% 2,677 56.27% 4,757
Marion 1,320 41.85% 1,801 57.10% 5 0.16% 28 0.89% -481 -15.25% 3,154
Marshall 2,835 75.50% 849 22.61% 57 1.52% 14 0.37% 1,986 52.89% 3,755
Maury 4,021 60.47% 2,537 38.15% 59 0.89% 33 0.50% 1,484 22.32% 6,650
McMinn 1,388 37.83% 2,235 60.92% 34 0.93% 12 0.33% -847 -23.09% 3,669
McNairy 1,516 50.89% 1,463 49.11% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 53 1.78% 2,979
Meigs 721 52.70% 641 46.86% 2 0.15% 4 0.29% 80 5.85% 1,368
Monroe 1,578 48.29% 1,634 50.00% 47 1.44% 9 0.28% -56 -1.71% 3,268
Montgomery 2,804 46.04% 2,934 48.17% 252 4.14% 101 1.66% -130 -2.13% 6,091
Moore 942 89.71% 78 7.43% 28 2.67% 2 0.19% 864 82.29% 1,050
Morgan 452 27.80% 1,140 70.11% 19 1.17% 15 0.92% -688 -42.31% 1,626
Obion 3,775 74.59% 1,147 22.66% 98 1.94% 41 0.81% 2,628 51.93% 5,061
Overton 1,495 66.24% 761 33.72% 0 0.00% 1 0.04% 734 32.52% 2,257
Perry 1,000 63.57% 572 36.36% 0 0.00% 1 0.06% 428 27.21% 1,573
Pickett 394 42.00% 544 58.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% -150 -15.99% 938
Polk 749 44.01% 947 55.64% 3 0.18% 3 0.18% -198 -11.63% 1,702
Putnam 1,750 61.08% 1,097 38.29% 14 0.49% 4 0.14% 653 22.79% 2,865
Rhea 1,124 44.75% 1,324 52.71% 46 1.83% 18 0.72% -200 -7.96% 2,512
Roane 821 20.51% 3,026 75.59% 142 3.55% 14 0.35% -2,205 -55.08% 4,003
Robertson 2,943 65.02% 1,386 30.62% 182 4.02% 15 0.33% 1,557 34.40% 4,526
Rutherford 3,352 59.46% 2,203 39.08% 23 0.41% 59 1.05% 1,149 20.38% 5,637
Scott 209 10.96% 1,691 88.67% 7 0.37% 0 0.00% -1,482 -77.71% 1,907
Sequatchie 386 61.27% 241 38.25% 3 0.48% 0 0.00% 145 23.02% 630
Sevier 428 11.20% 3,376 88.35% 13 0.34% 4 0.10% -2,948 -77.15% 3,821
Shelby 5,830 52.01% 5,122 45.70% 42 0.37% 215 1.92% 708 6.32% 11,209
Smith 2,414 68.89% 1,064 30.37% 20 0.57% 6 0.17% 1,350 38.53% 3,504
Stewart 1,642 71.42% 648 28.19% 9 0.39% 0 0.00% 994 43.24% 2,299
Sullivan 2,512 56.05% 1,914 42.70% 53 1.18% 3 0.07% 598 13.34% 4,482
Sumner 3,171 71.34% 1,215 27.33% 11 0.25% 48 1.08% 1,956 44.00% 4,445
Tipton 2,119 51.07% 1,894 45.65% 13 0.31% 123 2.96% 225 5.42% 4,149
Trousdale 769 70.81% 313 28.82% 0 0.00% 4 0.37% 456 41.99% 1,086
Unicoi 89 9.86% 804 89.04% 7 0.78% 3 0.33% -715 -79.18% 903
Union 599 24.30% 1,862 75.54% 2 0.08% 2 0.08% -1,263 -51.24% 2,465
Van Buren 419 73.12% 140 24.43% 5 0.87% 9 1.57% 279 48.69% 573
Warren 2,101 69.96% 842 28.04% 39 1.30% 21 0.70% 1,259 41.92% 3,003
Washington 1,661 36.67% 2,807 61.98% 43 0.95% 18 0.40% -1,146 -25.30% 4,529
Wayne 748 33.04% 1,505 66.48% 10 0.44% 1 0.04% -757 -33.44% 2,264
Weakley 3,934 65.14% 2,003 33.17% 99 1.64% 3 0.05% 1,931 31.98% 6,039
White 1,839 74.12% 617 24.87% 16 0.64% 9 0.36% 1,222 49.25% 2,481
Williamson 3,097 69.66% 1,281 28.81% 51 1.15% 17 0.38% 1,816 40.85% 4,446
Wilson 3,436 68.17% 1,568 31.11% 17 0.34% 19 0.38% 1,868 37.06% 5,040
Totals 168,176 52.23% 148,773 46.20% 3,099 0.96% 1,953 0.61% 19,403 6.03% 322,001

See also

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ Wright, John K.; ‘Voting Habits in the United States: A Note on Two Maps’; Geographical Review, vol. 22, no. 4 (October 1932), pp. 666-672
  2. ^ Key (Jr.), Valdimer Orlando; Southern Politics in State and Nation (New York, 1949), pp. 282-283
  3. ^ Lyons, William; Scheb (II), John M. and Stair Billy; Government and Politics in Tennessee, pp. 183-184 ISBN 1572331410
  4. ^ a b Kousser, J. Morgan; The Shaping of Southern Politics: Suffrage Restriction and the Establishment of the One-Party South, 1880-1910, p. 104 ISBN 0-300-01973-4
  5. ^ Kousser; The Shaping of Southern Politics, p. 110
  6. ^ a b Kousser, The Shaping of Southern Politics, p. 118
  7. ^ ‘Doubtful about Tennessee: Democratic Managers Uncertain about Carrying the State’; Evening Star, October 28, 1896, p. 1
  8. ^ ‘Pluralities for President: Major McKinley’s Secretary Compiles a Table’; The Wilkes-Barre Record, November 2, 1896, p. 2
  9. ^ Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas; Presidential General Election Results – Tennessee
  10. ^ "Popular Vote at the Presidential Election for 1896". Géoelections. (.xlsx file for €30 including full minor party figures)