Election 1856

After four years, the presidency finished Franklin Pierce. His administration's blundering and lack of backbone led to a civil war inside the state of Kansas. Pierce had become a pariah, the nation splintered along sectional lines over the slavery issue, the Whig Party died, and two new political parties rose from the ashes of the Whig Party to challenge the Democrats in 1856.
The Democrats refused to renominate Pierce for a second term and jettisoned him to alcoholism and obscurity. They looked for a candidate untarnished by the Kansas-Nebraska fiasco. Kansas-Nebraska was an attempt by Democrat Stephen Douglas to circumvent the Missouri Compromise by allowing voters in US territories to vote on the issue of slavery. In Kansas, this led to a shooting war between Pro-Slavery and Anti-Slavery forces. It was a debacle. The Democrats found James Buchanan and nominated him for the Presidency. Buchanan had been the ambassador to Great Britain during the Kansas troubles, so he did not get caught up in the mess. He proved offensive to none and was nominated.
Kansas-Nebraska sparked strong feelings amongst many northerners. They saw the fighting in Kansas as an attempt by slave holders to extend their power. As a result, the Republican Party formed to combat the Democrats. Their credo was "Free Soil, Free Labor, and Free Men!" They nominated Mexican War hero and explorer John C. Fremont whose nickname was "The Pathfinder."
Another party rose from the ashes of the Whigs. This party hated immigrants and called themselves the Know-Nothings. This Nativist Party challenged the Republicans for the hearts and minds of Northerners. Instead of rallying against slave power, they attacked the flood of Irish Catholic immigrants and the Pope. They feared a Papal Conspiracy. They argued the Pope would order his Bishops to order the Priests to order their flock to vote in certain ways. Then, the Pope would rule the world. The Know-Nothings nominated former President Millard Fillmore. Some historians argue that Fillmore just wanted to return to the White House and felt this party had a better shot than the GOP did. Another brilliant move on the part of Millard Fillmore.
The campaign's real issue was slavery and its extension. The Democrats had the slight edge going into the general election because they could unite behind Buchanan while Republicans and Know-Nothings would split the anti-Democratic vote. The South threw one of their hissy fits and threatened secession if they lost. That was enough and Buchanan won the White House with 45% of the vote. His opponents tallied 55%. Fremont probably would have won without Fillmore in the race. Even with Fillmore, he came within a hair of winning several key states that would have propelled him the electoral college. Buchanan proved inadequate for the job. He bungled throughout his term, supported the South at every turn, and suborned treason as the South seceded after Lincoln's election in 1860.