John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821 – May 17, 1875) was a lawyer, U.S. representative, U.S. senator from Kentucky and the 14th vice president of the United States.[1] He was from Kentucky. He served in the House from 1851 to 1855. He served as Vice-President from 1857 to 1861, under President James Buchanan.[2] Breckinridge was the youngest vice president in U.S. history.[2]
John Cabell Breckinridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 14th Vice President of the United States | |
| In office March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861 | |
| President | James Buchanan |
| Preceded by | William R. King |
| Succeeded by | Hannibal Hamlin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 16, 1821 Lexington, Kentucky |
| Died | May 17, 1875 (aged 54) Lexington, Kentucky |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Cyrene Burch Breckinridge |
Breckinridge was also a Southern Democratic candidate for President in 1860. In the election of 1860, the Democratic Party split, with Southerners voting for Breckinridge and Northerners voting for Stephen Douglas. He carried most of the Southern states, but lost to Abraham Lincoln.
When the South seceded, Breckinridge was briefly a U.S. Senator from Kentucky, but was kicked out of the Senate. After that, he became active in the Confederacy. During the American Civil War, he was a general in the Confederate States Army. He fought in Tennessee and the Shenandoah Valley. He was the Confederate commander at the Battle of New Market. Breckinridge was the last Confederate Secretary of War. After the war, Breckinridge left the country for four years. He returned to Kentucky in 1869 and died in 1875.
John C. Breckinridge Media
Breckinridge in an undated photo
Breckinridge, circa 1850
Former Governor Robert P. Letcher was unable to unseat Breckinridge in 1853.
A campaign poster for Buchanan and Breckinridge
John C. Breckinridge, photograph by Mathew Brady
A marble bust of Breckinridge from the Senate's vice-presidential bust collection
Breckinridge in 1860 by Jules-Émile Saintin
States' electoral votes by candidate; Lincoln states are red, Breckinridge states are green, Bell states are orange, and Douglas states are blue
John C. Breckinridge by Eliphalet Frazer Andrews
Bust of Breckinridge by T.A.R. Kitson, Vicksburg National Military Park
References
- ↑ Meredith Hindley, 'The Man Who Came in Second', Humanities, Vol. 31, No. 6 (November/December 2011), online
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "John C. Breckinridge". Civil War Trust. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
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