United States presidential election of 1868: Grant defeats Seymour

Background. By 1868, Republicans felt strong enough to drop the Union Party label and sought a popular hero as their candidate. Grant, who had been promoted to General of the Army in 1866, was widely popular. Democrats were badly divided, with little agreement outside ending Reconstruction. Seymour remained widely popular despite no clear front-runner at the start of the Democratic convention.

Nominations. The Republican National Convention in Chicago (May 20–21, 1868) unanimously nominated Grant on the first ballot. The Democratic National Convention in New York City (July 4–9, 1868) nominated Seymour after several ballots, following support for Andrew Johnson. Grant was the highest-ranking Union general at the end of the Civil War, while Seymour had formerly served as Governor of New York.

Campaign. The campaign featured Blair's outspoken speeches attacking Radical Republicans. The election cemented a solid party comeback at the grassroots level, beginning in local elections in 1867. It was the only election since the Civil War where the two major party candidates won over 99.9% of the vote. Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia did not participate due to Reconstruction.