(Friday, June 6, 1856) — Former Secretary of State James Buchanan of Pennsylvania was unanimously nominated President of the United States today at the 1856 Democratic National Convention meeting at Smith and Nixon’s Hall in Cincinnati.

Buchanan led incumbent President Franklin Pierce of New Hampshire 135.5 to 122.5 on the first ballot. Buchanan finally unanimously won on the 17th ballot with 296 votes.

Pierce became the first the only elected incumbent president who sought but was denied nomination by his party for a second term. His pro-Southern sentiments and his policy of failing to lead on the divisive issue of slavery badly hurt his standing with the voters.

The convention also unanimously nominated former Representative John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky for vice president with 296 votes on the second ballot (Representative John A. Quitman of Mississippi was the front-runner, but his extreme pro-slavery views meant he no real prospect of gaining the required two-thirds majority).

The Buchanan-Breckinridge ticket would oppose John C. Fremont with William L. Dayton from the new Republican Party, and a strong third party showing from the Know Nothing/Whig party represented by former President Millard Fillmore and Andrew J. Donelson in the 1856 United States presidential election.