Who won South Carolina in the 1856 presidential election?

Buchanan (Democratic) carried South Carolina in 1856, winning its 8 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did South Carolina have in 1856?

South Carolina cast 8 electoral votes in the 1856 presidential election.

Did South Carolina vote for the national winner in 1856?

Yes. South Carolina backed James Buchanan, who won the presidency that year.

Antebellum CrisisSC · 8 EV

1856

South Carolina: Buchanan carries 8 EV.

South Carolina cast its 8 electoral votes for Buchanan (Democratic). National winner: James Buchanan (Democratic) — South Carolina voted with the national winner this cycle.

Reading the 1856 result in South Carolina

South Carolina backed Buchanan (Democratic) in the 1856 presidential election, casting 8 electoral votes for the ticket. South Carolina ended up on the winning side — James Buchanan captured the White House that year.

It marked the 5th consecutive election in which South Carolina backed the Democratic party, a streak reaching back to 1840. South Carolina did not move alone — neighboring Georgia and North Carolina broke the same way in 1856. Across the 59 presidential elections South Carolina has taken part in, it has most often sided with the Democratic party (28 times). The vote fell within the Antebellum Crisis — Slavery splits the parties.

In the national count, James Buchanan took 174 of the 296 electoral votes, against John C. Frémont's 114. James Buchanan led the national popular vote with 45.29% of the ballots cast.

The 1856 national map

South Carolina full history →