Who won Rhode Island in the 1856 presidential election?

Fremont (Republican) carried Rhode Island in 1856, winning its 4 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did Rhode Island have in 1856?

Rhode Island cast 4 electoral votes in the 1856 presidential election.

Did Rhode Island vote for the national winner in 1856?

No. Rhode Island backed Fremont, while James Buchanan won the presidency nationally.

Antebellum CrisisRI · 4 EV

1856

Rhode Island: Fremont carries 4 EV.

Rhode Island cast its 4 electoral votes for Fremont (Republican). National winner: James Buchanan (Democratic) — Rhode Island voted against the national winner this cycle.

What happened in Rhode Island, 1856

In 1856, Rhode Island awarded its 4 electoral votes to Fremont of the Republican party. The presidency went elsewhere: James Buchanan (Democratic) won nationally, while Rhode Island had backed a different ticket.

The result flipped Rhode Island away from the Whig ticket it had backed in each of the previous 4 cycles. Rhode Island did not move alone — neighboring Connecticut and Massachusetts broke the same way in 1856. Over its 59 recorded presidential cycles, Rhode Island has backed the Democratic party more than any other — 25 times in all. The vote fell within the Antebellum Crisis — Slavery splits the parties.

Nationally, James Buchanan finished with 174 of the 296 electoral votes to John C. Frémont's 114. James Buchanan led the national popular vote with 45.29% of the ballots cast.

The 1856 national map

Rhode Island full history →