1851 Mississippi gubernatorial election
4 November 1851
 
Nominee Henry S. Foote Jefferson Davis
Party Unionist Democratic Party Southern Rights Party
Alliance Whig Democratic
Popular vote 29,358 28,359
Percentage 50.87% 49.13%
County results
Governor before election

James Whitfield
Democratic

 Elected Governor

Henry S. Foote
Union Democratic Party

The 1851 Mississippi gubernatorial election was held on 4 November 1851 in order to elect the Governor of Mississippi. Democratic US Senator for Mississippi Henry S. Foote, who ran on a Unionist platform, defeated the Southern Rights Party nominee and fellow Democratic US Senator for Mississippi before resigning on 23 September 1851 to run in the gubernatorial election, Jefferson Davis.[1]

General election

Following the controversial Compromise of 1850, Mississippi voters considered this election to be an extension of their approval or disapproval of the compromise. Unionist Democratic Party nominee Henry S. Foote defended the compromise, while Southern Rights Party nominee Jefferson Davis campaigned vigorously against the compromise, suggesting that it put the South at a political disadvantage. [2] The election was held during a time of increasing sectional tension in the South and therefor Jefferson voiced his concern over the usurpation of southern constitutional rights by Washington. [3] Eventhough he only started his campaign 6 weeks before election day, Davis was favourited to win the election.[4] However, on election day, 4 November 1851, Foote won by a margin of 999 votes and would go on to become the 19th Governor of Mississippi.[5] Meanwhile, Davis turned down an offer from outgoing Governor James Whitfield to be reappointed to his seat in the US senate.[6] Davis would go on to infamously serve as the President of the Confederacy during the civil war from 1862 to 1865.

Results

Mississippi gubernatorial election, 1851
Party Candidate Votes %
Union Democratic Party Henry S. Foote 29,358 50.87
Southern Rights Party Jefferson Davis 28,359 49.13
Total votes 57,717 100.00
Union Democratic Party gain from Democratic

References

  1. ↑ "Foote versus Davis: The Mississippi election of 1851". tandfonline.com. April 1, 2009. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  2. ↑ Cooper 2000, p. 189.
  3. ↑ "JEFFERSON DAVIS AND THE MISSISSIPPI GUBERNATORIAL CONTEST OF 1851 WITH SELECTED LETTERS AND SPEECHES CONCERNING THE CAMPAIGN" (PDF). scholarship.rice.edu. May 1971. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  4. ↑ "The Bar's Tribute. Resolutions Concerning the Death of Henry S. Foote". The Daily American. Nashville, Tennessee. May 21, 1880. p. 2. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  5. ↑ "MS Governor". ourcampaigns.com. May 27, 2005. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  6. ↑ Davis 1991, pp. 214–217.

Works cited

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