1820 Federal States of New England

The 1820 United States presidential election was the second quadrennial presidential election, held on Sunday, September 3rd, 1820. Incumbent Federalist George Cabot defeated the Democratic-Republican Candidate, former House Joseph Bradley Varnum, in a landslide victory, winning --- electoral votes and --- percent of the popular vote to Varnum's mere ___.

Bryan faced little opposition when attempting to receive the Farmer-Labor nomination, while Houston had a much tougher time. The controversial President, Houston faced much opposition from within his own party. Many opposed his Imperialistic foreign policy, but also his policy of High Tariffs and High Spending on Infrastructure. Because of this, when he tried to run for a third term, he was opposed by many candidates which included: Thomas Brackett Reed, William McKinley, Josiah T. Walls, but importantly, George Dewey. Dewey won the nomination, but faced opposition from Progressives and President Houston himself. Houston and the progressives bolted from the Federal Republican Party and nominated Houston with his former rival, Mary Elizabeth Lease, for the Presidency.

Dewey won in a landslide, easily defeating both Bryan and Houston. Dewey won 46% of the Popular vote, compared to Bryans 28% and Houston's 24%. Houston preformed surprisingly well, and won four states: California, Nevada, Colorado, and Shoshone.

Federalist Party nomination
Also see: 1900 Federal Republican National Convention

Following their narrow loss in 1896, and their devastating loss in 1898, the Farmer-Labor Party was back to try to reclaim victory, after being out of the White House for eight years. Many candidates were present at the convention, like Richard F. Pettigrew, Hazen S. Pingree, Jacob S. Coxey, Arthur F. Devereux, and even President Aaron Burr Houston, who was not a Famer-Laborite himself. Still, no one could defeat William Jennings Bryan, the man who almost won the Presidential Election of 1896 and who only lost the popular vote by a little more than 1,000 votes. Bryan swiftly and quickly won the nomination in a landslide.

The keynote speaker of the convention, held at Boston in an odd turn of events, was to be Samuel M. Jones, the former independent Governor of Ohio known for basing his politics upon the “Golden Rule.” A former Federal Republican now considering himself to be a Christian socialist, while also supporting a land value tax, Jones would be introduced as something more than keynote speaker as he entered the stage, with Convention Chairman Benjamin F. Shively announcing him as Bryan’s choice for the Vice Presidency, which the delegates would approve. Jones’ speech began as it ended, declaring “do unto others as if you were the others.”

Following the formal nomination of Bryan, the boy orator returned to the stage. His speech would focus almost entirely upon imperialism, while best remembered for its final lines:

''”I can conceive of a national destiny surpassing the glories of the present and the past — a destiny which meets the responsibilities of today and measures up to the possibilities of the future. Behold a republic, resting securely upon the foundation stones quarried by revolutionary patriots from the mountain of eternal truth — a republic applying in practice and proclaiming to the world the self-evident propositions that all men are created equal; that they are endowed with inalienable rights; that governments are instituted among men to secure these rights, and that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. Behold a republic in which civil and religious liberty stimulates to earnest endeavor and in which the law restrains every hand uplifted for a neighbor’s injury — a republic in which every citizen is a sovereign, but in which no one cares to wear a crown. Behold a republic standing erect while empires all around are bowed beneath the weight of their own armaments — a republic whose flag is loved while other flags are only feared. Behold a republic increasing in population, in wealth, in strength and in influence, solving the problems of civilization and hastening the coming of an universal brotherhood — a republic which shakes thrones and dissolves aristocracies by its silent example and gives light and inspiration to those who sit in darkness. Behold a republic gradually but surely becoming the supreme moral factor in the world’s progress and the accepted arbiter of the world’s disputes — a republic whose history, like the path of the just, is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”''