Who won South Carolina in the 1840 presidential election?

VanBuren (Democratic) carried South Carolina in 1840, winning its 11 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did South Carolina have in 1840?

South Carolina cast 11 electoral votes in the 1840 presidential election.

Did South Carolina vote for the national winner in 1840?

No. South Carolina backed VanBuren, while William Henry Harrison won the presidency nationally.

Second Party SystemSC · 11 EV

1840

South Carolina: VanBuren carries 11 EV.

South Carolina cast its 11 electoral votes for VanBuren (Democratic). National winner: William Henry Harrison (Whig) — South Carolina voted against the national winner this cycle.

What happened in South Carolina, 1840

In 1840, South Carolina awarded its 11 electoral votes to VanBuren of the Democratic party. The presidency went elsewhere: William Henry Harrison (Whig) won nationally, while South Carolina had backed a different ticket.

The result flipped South Carolina away from the Whig it had supported in 1836. South Carolina did not move alone — neighboring Georgia and North Carolina broke the same way in 1840. Over its 59 recorded presidential cycles, South Carolina has backed the Democratic party more than any other — 28 times in all. The vote fell within the Second Party System — Jackson, Whigs, and the rise of mass politics.

Nationally, William Henry Harrison finished with 234 of the 294 electoral votes to Martin Van Buren's 60. William Henry Harrison led the national popular vote with 52.87% of the ballots cast.

The 1840 national map

South Carolina full history →