Constitutional Union Party (United States)

The Constitutional Union Party was a short-lived American political party formed in 1860. It was composed of conservative former Whigs and Know-Nothings who hoped to avoid disunion over the issue of slavery and the sectional tensions rapidly dividing the United States.

The party's platform was deliberately vague, centered on the principles of the Constitution, the Union, and the enforcement of the laws. They avoided taking a strong stance on slavery, instead emphasizing the need for national unity and compromise. Their aim was to act as a bridge between the increasingly polarized North and South.

The party nominated John Bell of Tennessee for President and Edward Everett of Massachusetts for Vice-President. In the 1860 election, they carried Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, winning 39 electoral votes and approximately 13% of the popular vote. While they successfully prevented the election from being decided outright in the Electoral College (requiring a House vote), their presence ultimately contributed to Abraham Lincoln's victory by splitting the vote against the Democrats.

With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, the Constitutional Union Party effectively dissolved as its members were forced to choose sides in the conflict. The party's efforts at compromise ultimately failed to prevent the secession of Southern states and the ensuing war.