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The Confederate States Presidential Election of 1891, the sixth CS presidential election, took place on November 3, 1891. John Tyler Morgan defeated John Brown Gordon in the most lopsided Confederate election since 1873.
Background[]
The country, initially divided over the election of Augustus Hill Garland as president, soon came to enjoy the sense of security and prosperity provided by the new president. Garland was able to strike a mix of patriotism and policy points that made him popular in the border states and the Deep South, making him the first president since Stonewall Jackson to pull this off. His vice president, John Tyler Morgan, shared in this popularity. He also had goals of his own, and a vision that saw the Confederacy becoming a world power. His expansionist views were popular no matter where one lived in the CS.
Confederate Nomination[]
The 1891 Confederate Party National Convention was held from June 13-15, 1891, in Houston. John Tyler Morgan was the only major candidate, being nominated unanimously on the first ballot. John W. Daniel of Virginia was nominated as his vice presidential candidate.
Southern Nomination[]
The Southern Party National Convention was held from June 24-29, 1891, in Birmingham. Very much unlike the CNC, there were no major front runners heading into the convention. Eventually, Governor John Brown Gordon of Georgia threw his name in the arena and gathered enough support to win the nomination. Wilkinson Call of Florida was named as his running mate.
The Campaign[]
Morgan did not do much campaigning, believing that he did not have to. He made some speeches in his home state (Alabama) and other states in the Deep South. He also focused attention on Texas, now by far the biggest state in the Confederacy. Gordon was fairly active but was only well received in Georgia. In most of the country, he was received only with apathy.
Results and Aftermath[]
Morgan used Garland's popularity and the popularity of manifest destiny to ride to an easy victory. He became the first president since Robert E. Lee in 1867 to win over 100 electoral votes. He was also the first Confederate Party candidate to win states in the Deep South, winning Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida.
President Morgan went on to speak out strongly against US President John G. Carlisle and his anti-Confederate rhetoric. The war of words between the two men led to a war of trade between their countries and nearly led to an actual war breaking out in 1892. After that incident, Morgan shifted his focus to Spain's colonies in the Caribbean, seeing them as a first step toward building a worldwide Confederate empire. The Spanish-Confederate War was a success for the Confederacy and bolstered Morgan's popularity. An economic shock took place soon after the war that plunged the CSA into a decade of recession, complicating Morgan's legacy.
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