1855 Wairarapa earthquake, Damage
Along with other historic earthquakes in the Wellington region, the severe uplift and landslides along the coastline caused by the 1855 Wairarapa earthquake would have likely extirpated local populations of Durvillaea antarctica southern bull kelp. For comparison, a large-scale die off of Durvillaea was observed following the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake. The removal of D. antarctica along the Wellington coastline in 1855 (or earlier) would have created an ecological opportunity, which may have facilitated a northward range expansion for Durvillaea poha from the South Island.


1855 Wairarapa earthquake, Tsunami
The earthquake generated New Zealand's largest historical locally generated tsunami, with a maximum run-up of 10–11 m (33–36 ft). New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research created an animated tsunami simulation model based on the 1855 Wairarapa event, which was screened on the television tele-drama "Aftershock".


1855 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
The 1855 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1855. Republican Party candidate Coles Bashford was declared the winner after a court challenge, defeating Democratic incumbent William A. Barstow.


1855 Wisconsin gubernatorial election
Barstow was initially declared the winner of the election, having apparently received just over 50% of the vote. However, Bashford and the Wisconsin Attorney General, George Baldwin Smith, filed suit in the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the case Atty. Gen. ex rel. Bashford v. Barstow. They alleged that Barstow's allies had created fraudulent election returns in several fake precincts in Wisconsin's northern counties. The court found that Bashford had won the election, and was entitled to the governorship. Before the court could formally remove him from office, Barstow resigned, leaving his Lieutenant Governor Arthur MacArthur, Sr., as acting Governor, until Bashford was sworn in four days later.


1855 in Australia
The following lists events that happened during 1855 in Australia.


1855 in Brazil
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by Dom Pedro IV (talk | contribs) at 15:17, 27 March 2020 (Periods at the end of the bullet points.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


1855 in Chile
The following lists events that happened during 1855 in Chile.


1855 in New Zealand
The following lists events that happened during 1855 in New Zealand.


1855 in New Zealand, Population
The estimated population of New Zealand at the end of 1855 is 59,500 Māori and 37,192 non-Māori.


1855 in New Zealand, Incumbents, Government and law
The 1st Parliament is dissolved on 15 September in preparation for the 1855 general election. The election starts on 26 October and concludes on 28 December. The 2nd Parliament is not formed until 15 April 1856.


1855 in New Zealand, Incumbents, Government and law
There is neither an official Prime minister/Premier/Colonial Secretary or Finance Minister/Colonial Secretary in the government at this point in time. (see 1st New Zealand Parliament)


1855 in New Zealand, Sport, Horse racing
The Canterbury Jockey Club holds its first meeting, at Riccarton Racecourse, including the Canterbury Cup (which is run in heats).


1855 in South Africa
The following lists events that happened during 1855 in South Africa.


1855 in Switzerland
The following is a list of events, births, and deaths in 1855 in Switzerland.


1855 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1855 to Wales and its people.


1855 in architecture
The year 1855 in architecture involved some significant architectural events and new buildings.


1855 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1855.


1855 in paleontology
Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 1855.


1855 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France).


1855 in poetry, Births
Death years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:


1855 in poetry, Deaths
Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:


1855 in rail transport
This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in 1855.


1855 in science
The year 1855 in science and technology involved some significant events, listed below.


1855 in sports
1855 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.


1856
1856 (MDCCCLVI) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar and a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar, the 1856th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 856th  year of the 2nd millennium, the 56th  year of the 19th century, and the  7th   year of the 1850s decade. As of the start of 1856, the Gregorian calendar was 12 days ahead of the Julian calendar, which remained in localized use until 1923.


1856 American National Convention
The 1856 American National Convention was held in National Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 22 to 25, 1856. The American Party, formerly the Native American Party, was the vehicle of the Know Nothing movement. The American Party absorbed most of the former Whig Party in 1854, and by 1855 it had established itself as the chief opposition party to the Democrats. In the 82 races for the House of Representatives in 1854, the American Party ran 76 candidates, 35 of whom won. None of the six Independents or Whigs who ran in these races was elected. The party then succeeded in electing Nathaniel P. Banks as Speaker of the House in the 34th Congress.


1856 American National Convention
Following the decision by party leaders in 1855 not to press the slavery issue, the convention had to decide how to deal with the Ohio chapter of the party, which was vocally anti-slavery. The convention closed the Ohio chapter and re-opened it under more moderate leadership. Delegates from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Iowa, New England, and other Northern states bolted when a resolution declaring that no candidate that opposed prohibiting slavery north of the 36'30' parallel would be granted the nomination was voted down.


1856 American National Convention
This removed a greater part of the American Party's support in the North outside of New York, where the conservative faction of the Whig Party remained faithful. Former President Millard Fillmore was nominated for president with 179 votes out of the 234 votes cast. The convention chose Andrew J. Donelson of Tennessee for vice president with 181 votes to 30 scattered votes and 24 abstentions.


1856 American National Convention, North American Seceders Party nomination
A group of North American delegates called the North American Seceders withdrew from the convention and met separately. They objected to the attempt to work with the Republican Party. The Seceders held their own national convention on 6/16-17/1856. 19 delegates unanimously nominated Robert F. Stockton for president and Kenneth Raynor for vice-president. The Seceders' ticket later withdrew from the contest, with Stockton endorsing Millard Fillmore for the Presidency.


1856 Argentina–Chile treaty
The Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Commerce and Navigation of 1856 between Chile and Argentina (Spanish: Tratado de paz, amistad, comercio y navegación entre la República de Chile y la Confederación Argentina) was the first boundary treaty  between Argentina and Chile. Article 39 of the treaty proposed the use of direct diplomatic negotiations and arbitration to resolve disputes. It established that the boundaries should be based on the uti possidetis principle based on what each country possessed before the Chilean and Argentine wars of independence beginning in 1810. It also postponed the solution of disputes into the future. Article 40 of this treaty established a 12 year limit on the effect of its articles about commerce and navigation. The Boundary treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina mentions this treaty to say that the later treaty is "in fulfillment" of Section 39 of this treaty.


1856 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1856 Atlantic hurricane season featured six tropical cyclones, five of which made landfall. The first system, Hurricane One, was first observed in the Gulf of Mexico on August 9. The final storm, Hurricane Six, was last observed on September 22. These dates fall within the period with the most tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic. Only two tropical cyclones during the season existed simultaneously. One of the cyclones has only a single known point in its track due to a sparsity of data. Operationally, another tropical cyclone was believed to have existed in the Wilmington, North Carolina area in September, but HURDAT – the official Atlantic hurricane database – excludes this system. Another tropical cyclone that existed over the Northeastern United States in mid-August was later added to HURDAT.


1856 Atlantic hurricane season
Four tropical cyclones reached hurricane status, including two which became major hurricanes, Category 3 or higher on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. However, in the absence of modern satellite and other remote-sensing technologies, only storms that affected populated land areas or encountered ships at sea are currently known, so the actual total could be higher. An undercount bias of zero to four cyclones per year between 1886 and 1910 has been estimated. The strongest cyclone of the season, the first hurricane, peaked at Category 4 strength with 150 mph (240 km/h) winds.


1856 Atlantic hurricane season
Known as the 1856 Last Island hurricane, it brought devastation to southern Louisiana. More than 200 people were killed after a storm surge submerged Last Island, making it one of the deadliest hurricanes in Louisiana history. Hurricane Two brought heavy rains and squalls to Barbados and Grenada, causing "considerable" damage. Tropical Storms Three and Four had a minor impact on the Northeastern United States and Cuba, respectively. Additionally, Hurricane Five caused four deaths in Inagua, Bahamas and had a minor impact on Cuba and the United States.


1856 Atlantic hurricane season
The season's activity was reflected with a low accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 49.


1856 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane One
On August 9, a minimal hurricane was observed near the Dry Tortugas. The storm moved northwestward and strengthened, becoming a Category 2 hurricane about 12 hours later. The hurricane reached Category 3 strengthened late on August 9. It continued to deepen and became a Category 4 hurricane on the following day. At 1800 UTC on August 10, the hurricane attained its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 934 mbar (27.6 inHg). Simultaneously, the storm made landfall in Last Island, Louisiana. It rapidly weakened inland and fell to tropical storm intensity on August 11. The system then drifted northeastward, until dissipating over Mississippi early on August 12.


1856 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane One
Offshore, at least 183 people drowned after steamers and schooners sunk in rough seas produced by the hurricane. A storm surge between 11 and 12 feet (3.4 and 3.7 m) lashed Last Island, Louisiana. The island was completely submerged, with virtually every structure destroyed, including the hotels and casinos, while all crops were ruined. Additionally, Last Island itself split in two. Inland, heavy rainfall caused the Mermentau River to oveflow, destroying crops and every house in Abbeville. The storm produced up to 13.14 inches (334 mm) of precipitation to New Orleans. In Plaquemines Parish, rice fields were under several feet of water, while many orange trees lost their fruit. The storm resulted in at least 200 fatalities, making it one of the deadliest tropical cyclones in the history of Louisiana.


1856 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Two
A hurricane with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) was initially observed about 750 miles (1,000 km) northwest of the coast of Venezuela on August 13. The cyclone tracked due westward and crossed Grenada, before entering the eastern Caribbean. Heavy rain and squalls were reported in Barbados and Grenada. This system was last noted near La Orchila, Venezuela on August 14.


1856 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Three
The third tropical storm of the season developed on August 19 about 170 miles (270 km) southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina. At 1100 UTC that day, it made landfall near Cape Lookout with winds of 60 mph (95 km/h). The storm traveled north and emerged into the Chesapeake Bay near Norfolk, Virginia. The storm continued travelling northward just offshore of the east coast of the US before finally dissipating off Rhode Island on August 21. Heavy rains and strong winds were reported in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington, D.C. This system was known as the Charter Oak Storm, because it felled the famed Charter Oak in Hartford, Connecticut.


1856 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Four
A limited number of sources indicate that a tropical storm was briefly active in the vicinity of Havana, Cuba on August 21.


1856 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Five
A hurricane formed north of Hispaniola on August 25. It moved westward, passing over the Inagua Islands before striking the north coast of Cuba as a Category 2 hurricane on August 27. The cyclone weakened to Category 1 strength as it crossed the island, close to Matanzas, but regained first Category 2 and then Category 3 strength as it moved north through the Gulf of Mexico. The cyclone made landfall near Panama City, Florida, on August 31 as a Category 2 hurricane. Thereafter, it then quickly weakened to a tropical storm while moving northward through Georgia and South Carolina. The storm entered the Atlantic from the state of Virginia on next day and dissipated on September 3.


1856 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Five
The hurricane destroyed thirty houses on Inagua and four people died there. Several vessels were run ashore on the Cuban coast. In Florida, high tides were reported along the coast. The SS Florida was tossed ashore at St. Joseph Bay and completely destroyed, while streets were inundated with water in Apalachicola. Inland, strong winds and heavy winds brought very damage inland, especially at Marianna, which was considered "a wreak." In Key West, it was reported that the hurricane completely washed away all of the island above water. In Georgia, flooding damaged numerous bridges, dams, and corn and cotton crop fields. Many streets and sidewalks in Columbus were blocked by falling trees. At Norfolk, Virginia, on September 1, the spire of a church was blown down by the storm.


1856 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Six
A sixth tropical storm was first observed by the brig Caroline E. Kelly on September 18, which experienced a heavy gale while located about 930 miles (1,500 km) east-southeast of Bermuda. With initial winds of 60 mph (95 km/h), the storm slowly strengthened while moving north-northwestward. At 1200 UTC on September 19, it reached hurricane status and peaked with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). The storm decelerated and remained at this intensity for over 24 hours. Late on September 21, the system re-curved westward and weakened to a tropical storm. It was last seen by the Pride of the Sea on September 22, while located about 695 miles (1,120 km) south of Cape Race, Newfoundland.


1856 Bathurst County colonial by-election
A by-election was to be held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Bathurst County on 19 June 1856 because John Plunkett had been elected to two seats and chose to represent Argyle and resigned from Bathurst County.


1856 Belgian general election
Partial general elections were held in Belgium on 10 June 1856. In the elections for the Chamber of Representatives the result was a victory for the Catholics, who won 63 of the 108 seats. Voter turnout was 60.6%, although only 43,573 people were eligible to vote.


1856 Belgian general election
Under the alternating system, Chamber elections were only held in four out of the nine provinces: East Flanders, Hainaut, Liège and Limburg. Thus, 54 of the 108 Chamber seats were up for election.


1856 Boston mayoral election
The Boston mayoral election of 1856 saw the reelection of Alexander H. Rice.


1856 Chicago mayoral election
In the 1856 Chicago mayoral election, Thomas Dyer defeated former mayor Francis Cornwall Sherman. The race was shaped by the divisive national political debate surrounding the issue of slavery, particularly debate surrounding the controversial Kansas–Nebraska Act. The election was treated by many as a referendum on the Kansas-Nebraska Act.


1856 Chicago mayoral election, Campaigning
First-term incumbent Know Nothing mayor Levi Boone did not seek reelection. His tenure had been very unpopular, and his anti-immigrant policies had led to a strong blowback from Chicago's immigrant community.


1856 Chicago mayoral election, Campaigning
Taking place several years prior to the start of the American Civil War, the election was shaped by the tenuous national debate surrounding slavery. The campaign was particularly shaped by debate surrounding the Kansas–Nebraska Act (such as whether or not popular sovereignty should be applied in determining the status of new states as slave or free states). The debate was so central to the election that rather than affiliate with traditional political parties, both (Democratic) candidates for mayor instead ran under the banner of "Pro-Nebraska" (Dyer) and Anti- Nebraska (Sherman).


1856 Chicago mayoral election, Campaigning
Democratic US Senator Stephen A. Douglas, an author of the Nebraska-Kansas Act who was seeking the 1856 Democratic presidential nomination and who would be up for reelection as a senator in two years, sought to bolster his electoral prospects by utilizing the Chicago mayoral election to illustrate popular support in Illinois for his stance on slavery (he was a prominent supporter of applying the principle of popular sovereignty to slavery). Douglas strongly backed Dyer and sought to frame the mayoral race as a referendum about his stance on slavery. He and his allies had much to gain by making that the key issue of the election.


1856 Chicago mayoral election, Campaigning
In February 1856, two organizations that sided with Douglas' side of the debate had nominated separate candidates. "Douglas Democracy" nominated L. M. Keith, and a fusion organization that included "Nebraska Democrats" nominated Dyer. However, Keith refused to accept the mayoral nomination, thus Dyer was also supported by "Douglas Democracy" (who voted by acclamation to support his candidacy).


1856 Chicago mayoral election, Campaigning
Dyer was nominated alongside a ticket of candidates for other municipal offices. Sherman was not. However, his candidacy was supported by the Know Nothings, who placed his name atop their own ticket.


1856 Chicago mayoral election, Campaigning
The campaign was very contentious. Individuals on either side of the debate resorted to issuing character attacks against those on the opposing side. Among incidents that arose from the political tension was a public fight between Sherman-supporting Chicago Journal editor C. L. Wilson and Dyer-supporting United States District Attorney Thomas Hoyne in late-February, which resulted in them both tumbling through a plate-glass window at the Illinois State Bank Building.


1856 Chicago mayoral election, Campaigning
Sherman was regarded to be the "anti-slavery extension" candidate, and received the backing of many Whig Party members.


1856 Chicago mayoral election, Campaigning
It was alleged that Douglas Democrats, in an effort to stack the vote in Dyer's favor, brought in as many as 1,500 Irish voters from neighboring Bridgeport, which was then outside the city limits, to vote illegally in the election as well as German voters. It was believed that German voters were inclined to support the "Pro Nebraska" ticket not out of their stance on the issue of the Nebraska Act but the presence of liquor candidates on the ticket. Similar allegations had previously arisen in the previous election. If that is true for the 1856 election, electoral fraud would have contributed to Dyer's margin of victory.


1856 Chilean presidential election
Indirect presidential elections were held in Chile on 25 July 1856. Incumbent President Manuel Montt was re-elected by a system of electors


1856 Christchurch Country by-election
The Christchurch Country by-election 1856 was a by-election held in the multi-member Christchurch Country electorate during the 2nd New Zealand Parliament, on 14 October 1856,  and was, along with the Grey and Bell 1856 by-election, the second equal contested by-election in New Zealand political history.


1856 Christchurch Country by-election
The by-election was caused by the resignation of incumbent MP Dingley Brittin on 7 July 1856.


1856 Christchurch Country by-election
The election was won by John Ollivier. On nomination day (13 October) Ollivier and Crosbie Ward were nominated, and after a show of hands in favour of Ollivier, Ward demanded a poll. Ollivier was subsequently elected the following day.


1856 Connecticut gubernatorial election
The 1856 Connecticut gubernatorial election was held on April 2, 1856. Incumbent governor and American Party nominee William T. Minor defeated former congressman and Democratic nominee Samuel Ingham and former Comptroller of Connecticut and Republican nominee Gideon Welles with 38.99% of the vote.


1856 Connecticut gubernatorial election
In accordance with the national transition from the Second Party System to the Third Party System, this was the first such election in which the Republicans fielded a candidate, the last in which the Know-Nothings would run (and win), and the last in which the Whig Party participated.


1856 Connecticut gubernatorial election
Although Ingham won a strong plurality of the vote, he fell just short of a majority. As a result, the Connecticut General Assembly elected the governor, per the state constitution. Minor won the vote over Ingham, 135 to 116, in the General Assembly, and became the governor. This was the second election in which Ingham would receive a plurality of more than 10% and still lose, the first being 1854.


1856 Dallas municipal election
The 1856 Dallas municipal election was the first mayoral election in Dallas, Texas. The election was held on April 5, 1856. In the election, Dr. Samuel B. Pryor defeated challenger and eventual mayor A. D. Rice.


1856 Democratic National Convention
The 1856 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention that met from June 2 to June 6 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was held to nominate the Democratic Party's candidates for president and vice president in the 1856 election. The convention selected former Secretary of State James Buchanan of Pennsylvania for president and former Representative John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky for vice president.


1856 Democratic National Convention
Incumbent Democratic President Franklin Pierce's standing with the public had been badly damaged by "Bleeding Kansas," the civil strife in Kansas Territory over slavery. Many dissatisfied Democrats lined up behind Buchanan, who had served as Pierce's ambassador to Britain and thus had avoided the controversy over Bleeding Kansas, while a smaller group of Democrats supported Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois. Buchanan led on the first ballot and slowly grew his support on subsequent ballots, leading Pierce to instruct his delegates to back Douglas.


1856 Democratic National Convention
Douglas agreed to withdraw his name after receiving assurances that Buchanan would not seek re-election in 1860, allowing Buchanan to clinch the nomination on the seventeenth ballot. Pierce became the first and only elected president who was an active candidate for reelection to be denied his party's nomination for a second term.


1856 Democratic National Convention
Eleven candidates received votes on the first vice presidential ballot, with Congressman John A. Quitman winning a plurality of the vote. The delegates lined up unanimously behind Breckinridge on the second ballot, giving him the vice presidential nomination. The Democratic ticket went on to win the 1856 election, defeating the Republican ticket of John C. Fremont and William L. Dayton and the American Party ticket of Millard Fillmore and Andrew J. Donelson.


1856 Democratic National Convention, Background
The Democratic Party was wounded from its devastating losses in the 1854–1855 midterm elections. The party faced continued North-South sectional division over slavery-related issues, especially the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 and subsequent violence known as "Bleeding Kansas" from the civil strife in the Kansas Territory during its campaign for statehood. Two notable Democratic politicians, President Pierce and Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois, were seen as being at the center of the controversies, which led many party members to look elsewhere for a new compromise candidate for president.


1856 Democratic National Convention, Background
James Buchanan had been a candidate for president at the 1852 Democratic National Convention, and after the 1852 election he agreed to serve as Pierce's ambassador to Britain. Buchanan's service abroad conveniently placed him outside of the country while the debate over the Kansas–Nebraska Act roiled the nation. Powerful Senators like John Slidell, Jesse Bright, and James A. Bayard lined up behind Buchanan, presenting him as an experienced leader who could appeal to the North and South. While Buchanan did not overtly seek the presidency, he most deliberately chose not to discourage the movement on his behalf, something that was well within his power on many occasions.


1856 Democratic National Convention, Proceedings
Called to order at noon on Monday, June 2, by the National Committee chair Robert Milligan McLane, Samuel Medary was made the temporary president. The first day, the convention did little more than appoint committees on credentials, organization, and resolutions (writing a "platform").


1856 Democratic National Convention, Proceedings
On the second day the organization committee (John L. Dawson chair) report was adopted and John Elliot Ward of Georgia was made the convention's president. The committee on credentials (James A. Bayard, Jr. chair) settled a dispute over the Missouri delegation, but needed more time for the thorny problem of competing delegations from New York.


1856 Democratic National Convention, Proceedings
June 4 saw the adoption of a platform (former National Committee chair Benjamin F. Hallett headed the committee on resolutions); the domestic portions were supported unanimously, the foreign policy planks by large margins. A separately reported plank on a railroad to the Pacific coast failed by a vote of 120 to 154.


1856 Democratic National Convention, Proceedings
On June 5, the New York problem was finally settled by seating half of each of the competing delegations. Nominations for President were then made.


1856 Democratic National Convention, Presidential nomination, Presidential candidates
On the first ballot, Pierce received 122 votes, many of them from the South, to Buchanan's 135, with Douglas and Lewis Cass receiving the remaining votes. By the following morning fourteen ballots had been completed, but none of the three main candidates were able to get two-thirds of the vote. Pierce, whose support had been slowly declining as the ballots passed, directed his supporters to break for Douglas, withdrawing his name in a last-ditch effort to defeat Buchanan.


1856 Democratic National Convention, Presidential nomination, Presidential candidates
Douglas, only 43 years of age, believed that he could be nominated in 1860 if he let the older Buchanan win this time, and received assurances from Buchanan's managers that this would be the case. After two more deadlocked ballots, Douglas's managers withdrew his name, leaving Buchanan as the clear winner. To soften the blow to Pierce, the convention issued a resolution of "unqualified approbation" in praise of his administration. This loss marked the only time in U.S. history that an elected president who was an active candidate for reelection was not nominated for a second term.


1856 Democratic National Convention, Vice Presidential nomination, Declined
Eleven candidates were nominated for the vice presidency, but a number of them attempted to withdraw themselves from consideration, among them the eventual nominee, John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky. Breckinridge supported fellow Kentuckian Linn Boyd for the vice presidential nomination. However, following a draft effort led by the delegation from Vermont, Breckinridge was nominated on the second ballot. As Vermont's David Allen Smalley stated, "No Democrat has a right to refuse his services when his country calls."


1856 Democratic National Convention, Aftermath
The Buchanan-Breckinridge ticket went on to win the 1856 presidential election, defeating John C. Fremont with William L. Dayton from the new Republican Party, and a strong third party showing from the American Party of the "Know Nothings" represented by former President Millard Fillmore and Andrew J. Donelson.


1856 Djijelli earthquakes
The 1856 Djijelli earthquakes occurred on August 21 and 22 near the coastal area of northern Algeria. The magnitude of the two shocks are unknown, but each had a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). Each of these high intensity shocks were felt as far as Genoa in northern Italy and were followed by a tsunami that affected the Mediterranean Sea. Three people were killed as a result of the second event.


1856 East Suffolk by-election
The 1856 East Suffolk by-election was held on 26 December 1856 after the death of the incumbent Conservative MP Sir Edward Gooch. It was won by the unopposed Conservative MP, John Henniker-Major.


1856 Ecuadorian presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Ecuador in 1856. The elections were held using an electoral college, and resulted in a victory for Francisco Robles, who received 60% of the vote. He took office on 1 September.


1856 Florida gubernatorial election
The 1856 Florida gubernatorial election was held on October 6, 1856. Democratic Nominee Madison S. Perry defeated Know Nothing candidate David S. Walker.


1856 Fox Ministry
The Fox Ministry was the second responsible government to be formed in New Zealand. It formed in 1856, but lasted less than a month, from 20 May to 2 June 1856. From the outset, William Fox served as Prime Minister as well as Attorney-General.


1856 Fox Ministry, Background
Fox was the leader of a 'Wellington Party' of provincial supporters in opposition to the government of Henry Sewell during the 1856 session of Parliament. He moved resolutions which led to the Sewell Ministry's demise. Fox subsequently formed a new ministry at the Governor's invitation. His provincial policies were seen as too extreme for many members, particularly from Auckland. Fox remained much respected in Wellington though had few supporters elsewhere. His administration lasted only weeks and it was not long before he in turn was succeeded by a more centrist, long-lasting administration led by Edward Stafford, which governed until 1861.


1856 Grand National
The 1856 Grand National was the 18th renewal of the world-famous Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 27 February 1856. The race was won by Freetrader. This was the first of five times that George Stevens rode the winner of the Grand National.


1856 Grand National
This was the last time that the race was held in February.


1856 Greek legislative election
Parliamentary elections were held in Greece on 6 October 1856. Supporters of Dimitrios Voulgaris won a majority of the 138 seats. However, Voulgaris remained Prime Minister only until 25 November the following year, when he was replaced by Athanasios Miaoulis.


1856 Grey and Bell by-election
The Grey and Bell by-election 1856 was a by-election held in the Grey and Bell electorate during the 2nd New Zealand Parliament, on 14 October 1856, and was, along with the Christchurch Country 1856 by-election, the second equal contested by-election in New Zealand political history.


1856 Grey and Bell by-election
The by-election was caused by the resignation of incumbent MP Charles Brown and was won by John Lewthwaite. On nomination day (13 October) John Lewthwaite and Mr R. Pheney were nominated, and after a second show of hands in favour of Lewthwaite, Pheney demanded a poll. John Lewthwaite was subsequently elected the following day.


1856 Guam smallpox epidemic
An epidemic of smallpox in 1856 on the west Pacific island of Guam, then under the control of Spain, resulted in the death of over half of the population, or about 4,500 people. The population collapse led Spanish authorities to transfer the population of Pago to Hagåtña, ending a settlement dating back before colonization. It also led the Governor of the Spanish Mariana Islands to encourage immigration to Guam.


1856 Guam smallpox epidemic, Background
The 1856 epidemic was part of a long decline in the population of the Guam under Spanish rule. While Jesuit missionary Diego Luis de San Vitores, who established the first permanent presence on Guam in 1668, estimated the CHamoru population to be 100,000, estimates by his contemporaries ranged as low as 24,000 indigenous inhabitants. Scholars dispute whether the CHamoru population at the time of San Vitores had already fallen due to exposure to disease brought by the up to 100 ships that had passed through the Mariana Islands before his arrival.


1856 Guam smallpox epidemic, Background
Epidemics of influenza, smallpox, or whooping cough are recorded throughout the Spanish-Chamorro Wars of the late seventeenth century. In a measure to control the population, Spanish authorities transferred the population of the many small villages into six towns, which may have compounded the spread of the infectious diseases. While some histories blame the depopulation on a genocide of the CHamorus by the Spanish, the historical record records relatively few deaths in the sporadic violence of the Wars. Meanwhile, 650 CHamorus died in an influenza epidemic in 1700.


1856 Guam smallpox epidemic, Background
Between 1698 and 1702, there was an average 600 deaths per year, compared to 240 births, for a net population loss of 1,800 for these five years. In 1706, a famine was recorded, apparently due to the severe social disruption. The population nadir was reached in the Spanish census of 1795, which recorded a total population on Guam of 3,500, of which only 1,894 were classified as "natives." From about 1800 to the smallpox epidemic of 1856, the population rebounded. The population in 1856, before the pandemic, was 8,207.


1856 Guam smallpox epidemic, Background
There is very little evidence of the Spanish authorities providing medical care for the population. Records make occasional mention of individuals, often of doubtful credentials, providing treatment, but no mention of any organized effort to provide general care or treat individuals. The medical needs of the majority of the population were addressed by suruhåna , traditional herb doctors. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, a Spanish doctor named Balmis took the newly developed smallpox vaccine to half a dozen Spanish colonies, arriving in Manila in 1805. However, he never made it to the Spanish Marianas and none of Guam's indigenous population was vaccinated.


1856 Guam smallpox epidemic, History
In late February 1856, the American schooner Edward L. Frost anchored in Apra Harbor after completing its voyage from the Philippines. A passenger who had died from smallpox on the trip was buried at sea before anchoring. The Spanish government required a three-day quarantine, but two passengers were allowed to go ashore immediately. After the first island resident became symptomatic, Governor Felipe María de la Corte y Ruano Calderón initiated home quarantines, isolation zones, and construction of isolation wards. However, the administration did not have a medical officer or any medical advisors.


1856 Guam smallpox epidemic, History
The Spanish priest Aniceto del Carmen wrote an account of the progress of the outbreak:


1856 Guam smallpox epidemic, History
In the beginning the infested were only from Hagåtña. By the end of August, the epidemic had spread throughout the whole island and at the speed of lightning. The spectacle that the island presented by September was terrible, sad, very sad indeed and overwhelmingly heartbreaking. The (Filipinos) who resided in Guam, could do nothing else all day but carry the corpses in their carts to the hospital of (Adelup) and there give them burial in wide trenches where were laid as many corpses as would possibly fit.


1856 Guam smallpox epidemic, History
The initial vaccines that arrived from Manila were spoiled. Useable vaccine eventually arrived and was used to inoculate the uninfected and stop the spread. The pandemic peaked between March and September 1856 and burnt itself out by November. Of Guam's pre-outbreak population of 8,207, survivors numbered 3,644. The smallpox pandemic had killed 4,563 people, or over 55% of the population.


1856 Guam smallpox epidemic, Effects
The Honolulu newspaper The Polynesian printed an account by the whaleship Champion, which had anchored at Guam on January 17, 1857 and reported "the inhabitants are starving by the thousands. Four thousand had died with smallpox in three months." It is possible that the lack of people to tend crops resulted in a food shortage.


1856 Guam smallpox epidemic, Effects
The number of villagers in Pago fell from 356 to 108 and the Spanish authorities decided to abandon the village and transferred the survivors. In 1952, a marker at the site of old village stated, "abandoned in 1857 after the smallpox epidemic, the survivors moving to Sumay." The Catholic mission at Pago was also moved to Sumay.


1856 Guam smallpox epidemic, Effects
Governor de la Corte encouraged immigration to the Marianas to recover the population, even seriously considering encouraging mating between Carolinians and Chinese immigrants to create a race that he believed would not be as vulnerable to disease. The rate and variety of immigration to Guam increased significantly in the decade after the pandemic. About 35 Japanese agricultural laborers arrived in 1867. Perhaps 63 Chinese laborers arrived in 1858, and about 39 more over the course of the 1860s. About 600 Carolinians were brought to Guam on labor contracts around 1861.


1856 Guam smallpox epidemic, Effects
They were followed between 1865 and 1869 by 1000 Carolinians, sent throughout the Marianas, to develop the copra industry. By 1868, 430 Carolinians were listed as residents of Tamuning. Nearly as many Filipinos as Carolinians also arrived, under a government-sponsored program. Anthropologist Jane H. Underwood, who uses the term "Neo-Chamorro," discusses the 1856 pandemic as a landmark date for her contention that "[t]he rise of a mestizo group was more likely to have involved mixed marriages between Filipinos and natives than a massive infusion of European and Asian genes."


1856 Guam smallpox epidemic, Effects
Jose Bernardo Palomo y Torres, who was 20 years old when he lost both of his parents to the 1856 pandemic, stated that the experience convinced him to become the first CHamoru priest. Years later, construction at both Hagåtña and Asan uncovered three-foot deep trenches, each with 50 or more bodies piled on top of each other without ceremony. Over fifty years later in 1917, a U.S. military officer noted, "The scenes occurring during this terrible plague are recalled with the utmost horror by the oldest inhabitants, who describe them with much vividness."


1856 Heraklion earthquake
The 1856 Heraklion earthquake, also known as the Crete earthquake or Rhodes earthquake occurred on the morning of October 12 at 02:45 am local time. This extremely catastrophic earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 7.7 to 8.3 at a depth of approximately 61 to 100 km. The earthquake was felt over a very wide area extending from Sicily, Italy to the Levant and North Africa. On the Greek island of Crete, the effects of the earthquake were cataclysmic, over 500 bodies were recovered in the city of Heraklion.


1856 Heraklion earthquake
Shockwaves from the earthquake were felt intensely, covering all of the Ottoman Empire; present-day Turkey, Cyprus and the Middle East where damage and human losses were reported. In Malta, the earthquake collapsed the Għajn Ħadid Tower—a coastal watchtower built around the year 1638. In Cairo, Egypt, the earthquake destroyed buildings, created seiches in canals, and killed several people. Off the Egyptian and Italian coasts, sailors reported feeling a seaquake.


1856 Heraklion earthquake, Tectonic background
Along the southern coast of the Dodecanese Islands, Rhodes, Crete and the Ionian Islands, the African Plate made of oceanic crust is subducting beneath the Aegean Sea Plate (part of the Eurasian Plate) along a convergent plate boundary at a rate of 5 to 10 mm/yr. The interface of the subduction zone occasionally rupture in large megathrust earthquakes such as those in 365 and 1303. Tsunamis are produced along the Hellenic Trench as one side of the fault is suddenly thrust upwards, displacing trillions of gallons of seawater during a massive earthquake.


1856 Heraklion earthquake, Earthquake
The Heraklion earthquake of 1856 was an intermediate-depth earthquake with a hypocenter depth of 60 to 90 km, occurring on a fault within the subducting African Plate. The epicenter is most likely located off the northern coast of Crete, based on evaluating where the strongest isoseismic contours were. For a moment magnitude 7.7 (Mw ) event, the estimated fault dimensions is 64 km by 64 km at a depth of 90 km beneath the Aegean Sea while an 8.1–8.3 Mw would involve a 120 km by 120 km fault rupture at a deeper depth of 130 km.


1856 Heraklion earthquake, Effects
The earthquake caused widespread damage not just in Greece, but in the Middle East and North Africa, where additional deaths and damage was reported. An exact time of occurrence is still debated between 02:38 am or 02:45 am.


1856 Heraklion earthquake, Effects, Greece
The earthquake reached XI (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale in the central part of Crete. The city of Heraklion was almost destroyed, with only 18 or 40 of the 3,600 houses left standing. The seaside cities of Sitia and Chania were also severely damaged. A total of 538 inhabitants on Crete were killed while 637 persons were injured. On the island of Rhodes, several villages were destroyed and the coast experienced uplift. Ground failures were widely observed amidst the destruction. Sixty lives were lost on the island. The island of Thera also reported some damage. In Kasos and Karpathos, 8,000 homes were wiped-out, with about 20 deaths.


1856 Heraklion earthquake, Effects, Greece
On mainland Greece, the cities Ioannina and Kyparissia also felt the quake.


1856 Heraklion earthquake, Effects, Malta
In the Maltese Islands, the earthquake was felt much stronger than most earthquakes from Greece when felt on the islands, making this very unusual and of interest to many seismologists. The quake disrupted the night and woke everyone on the island. Shaking lasted between 22 to 60 seconds, causing many residents to lose their balance and threw down many items in houses. Large cracks developed in the homes of some places such as Valletta and Gozo Region. Many churches had cracks in the walls and domes and had hanging crucifixes falling off. In some cases, the damage was more serious, some churches experiencing a total collapse. The dome of Saint Paul's Cathedral in Mdina collapsed from the inside, which caused some £1,000 in damages. Another church, the Carmelite Church, had its steeple rebuilt because the earthquake had damaged it so severely.


1856 Heraklion earthquake, Effects, Malta
Damage to structures corresponded to intensity VII, higher than expected for the 1,000 km distance from the earthquake in Greece. A typical earthquake should only be felt with intensties IV to V. The occurrence of very strong shaking is likely attributed to long period ground motion.


1856 Heraklion earthquake, Effects, Malta
It was this earthquake that collapsed the Għajn Ħadid Tower. An eyewitness present at the tower one month before the earthquake said large cracks opened in the ground around the tower.


1856 Heraklion earthquake, Effects, Malta
Shaking was also felt in Syracuse and Pozzallo, Sicily, Italy where some minor damage occurred.


1856 Heraklion earthquake, Effects, Egypt
In Cairo, the shaking was still perceivable and strong enough to cause damage. Shaking intensity in the Egyptian capital reached VII to VIII. Three distinct shocks were felt with durations between 1 and 2 minutes. Twenty homes collapsed and another 200 were affected, while some 20 mosques were also crippled. Seiches in canals caused water to splash all over while clocks stopped working as a result of the ground motions. At least ten people died in the city. Following the aftermath, many survivors slept outside their homes for fear of a collapse during the night for several days.


1856 Heraklion earthquake, Effects, Egypt
In Alexandria, only some old construction fell but there were no major implications to the city. Two people were killed and some injuries were sustained to people. Around the Nile Delta, collapses of homes and falling minarets killed an additional number of people in the towns of Tanta and Damanhur. In other parts of the delta, many residents found it difficult to stand, which terrified many. Ground motions were strong enough to shift furniture and cause water in tanks to slosh around. Sailors off the coasts reported feeling the strong earthquake as well.


1856 Heraklion earthquake, Effects, Other places
The shock also caused damage to places like Syria and Palestine. Eyewitnesses along the coasts of Haifa and Lebanon reported a small "tsunami" wave.


1856 Heraklion earthquake, Legacy
In the book Domestic Life in Palestine, author Mary Eliza Rogers described her experience of the strong tremors in Haifa, Israel but she dated the event incorrectly between the night of 10 and 11 October.


1856 Honduran presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Honduras in 1856. The result was a victory for José Santos Guardiola.


1856 Honduran presidential election, Results
No candidate received a majority in the popular vote, resulting in the General Chamber electing conservative José Santos Guardiola as president and José María Lazo Guillén as vice president on 14 February. The two took office on 17 February.


1856 Hutt by-election
The Hutt by-election 1856 was a by-election held in the multi-member Hutt electorate during the 2nd New Zealand Parliament, on 27 November 1856.


1856 Hutt by-election
The by-election was caused by the resignation of incumbent MP Alfred Ludlam and was won by Samuel Revans. On nomination day (26 November) Samuel Revans and George Hart were nominated, and after a show of hands in favour of Revans, Hart demanded a poll. Samuel Revans was subsequently elected the following day.


1856 Illinois gubernatorial election
The 1856 Illinois gubernatorial election was the eleventh election for this office. Democratic governor Joel Aldrich Matteson did not seek re-election. Former Democratic Congressman William Henry Bissell was nominated by the newly formed Republican Party at the Bloomington Convention. Former Whig Mayor of Chicago Buckner S. Morris was nominated on the Know-Nothing Party ticket. This was the first election of a Republican governor in Illinois history. At this time in Illinois history the Lieutenant Governor was elected on a separate ballot from the governor. This would remain the case until the adoption of the 1970 constitution.


1856 Iowa Senate election
In the 1856 Iowa State Senate elections, Iowa voters elected state senators to serve in the sixth Iowa General Assembly. Following the expansion of the Iowa Senate from 31 to 36 seats in 1856, elections were held for 21 of the state senate's 36 seats. State senators serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate.


1856 Iowa Senate election
Following the previous election in 1854, Democrats had control of the Iowa Senate with 17 seats to Whigs' 14 seats. However, three changes occurred during the fifth general assembly. In the first district, Democratic Senator James M. Love resigned on July 1, 1856, causing a vacancy in his seat that was filled by special election. Democrat David Trowbridge Brigham succeeded Senator Love, holding the seat for the Democrats. In the twentieth district, Democratic Senator Theophilus Bryan was originally declared the winner.


1856 Iowa Senate election
However, the members of the Iowa Senate voted on January 7, 1855 to remove Senator Bryan and replace him with his Whig opponent, Senator James Cunningham Jordan, thereby flipping the seat to Whig control. In the twenty-fourth district, Democratic Senator John G. Shields died on June 25, 1856, causing a vacancy in his seat. Therefore, by election day in 1856, the Democrats held 15 seats, the Whigs held 15 seats, and one seat was vacant (the seat that had been held by Democratic Senator John Shields).


1856 Iowa Senate election
Prior to the 1856 election, nearly all Whigs switched political party affiliation to become Republicans.


1856 Iowa Senate election
To claim control of the chamber from Democrats, the Republicans needed to garner 19 Senate seats.


1856 Iowa Senate election
Republicans claimed control of the Iowa State Senate following the 1856 general election with the balance of power shifting to Republicans holding 23 seats, Democrats having 12 seats, and a lone seat for the Know Nothing Party (a net gain of 23 seats for Republicans and 1 seat for Know Nothings). This was the first time Democrats lost control of the chamber. Republican Senator William W. Hamilton was chosen as the President of the Iowa Senate for the sixth General Assembly, succeeding Democratic Senator Maturin L. Fisher in that leadership position.


1856 Iowa Senate election
The 1856 general election was the first in which the Iowa Senate's districts expanded to cover all the land area currently recognized as Iowa.


1856 Last Island hurricane
The 1856 Last Island hurricane (also known as the Great Storm of 1856) was a deadly and destructive tropical cyclone that is tied with Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Ida as the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in the U.S. state of Louisiana, as measured by maximum sustained winds. The first known tropical cyclone of the season, it was observed first as a minimal hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico near Dry Tortugas on August 9. Moving northwestward, the cyclone quickly intensified into a strong Category 4 hurricane on the modern-day Saffir–Simpson scale by the following day.


1856 Last Island hurricane
Late on August 10, the hurricane made landfall on Last Island, Louisiana, with winds at 150 mph (240 km/h), hours before striking near New Iberia. The system rapidly weakened after moving inland, falling to tropical storm intensity on August 11. The storm would be last noted over Mississippi on the next day.


1856 Last Island hurricane
Offshore, at least 183 people drowned after steamers and schooners sank in rough seas produced by the hurricane. A storm surge between 11 and 12 feet (3.4 and 3.7 m) completely submerged Last Island in Louisiana, destroying virtually every structure, including the hotels and casinos, while all crops were ruined. Additionally, Last Island itself was split in two. Inland, heavy rainfall caused the Mermentau River to flood, destroying crops and every house in Abbeville. The storm produced as much as 13.14 inches (334 mm) of precipitation in New Orleans. In Plaquemines Parish, rice fields were under several feet of water, while many orange trees lost their fruit. Overall, the hurricane resulted in at least 200 fatalities.


1856 Last Island hurricane, Meteorological history
The cyclone was first detected in the eastern Gulf of Mexico 125 miles (200 km) west-northwest of Key West, Florida, on August 8, 1856. Because it was already a hurricane when it was first observed, it probably had developed further east than here. It advanced steadily northwest, strengthening to the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane. The hurricane gradually slowed prior to landfall on August 10, and it attained its estimated peak intensity of 150 mph (240 km/h). It was a tropical cyclone of small diameter, and its maximum sustained winds may have reached Category 5 status, but were unrecorded.


1856 Last Island hurricane, Meteorological history
During the early evening of August 10 the northeastern edge of the eye crossed over Last Island (Official name: Isle Dernière) before making landfall a few hours later south of New Iberia, Louisiana. The cyclone is believed to have struck southern Louisiana at peak intensity with an approximate central pressure of 934 mbar (27.58 inHg). A ship reported a peripheral pressure of 955 mbar (28.20 inHg), so a lower pressure was based on the small size of the hurricane. It quickly weakened over land, and it diminished to a tropical storm on August 11. It dissipated over southwestern Mississippi on August 12 with fully tropical characteristics.


1856 Last Island hurricane, Impact and aftermath, Last Island
Many vacationers hoping to escape were awaiting the scheduled arrival of the ship Star, which provided regular service to the mainland. However, the Star was blown off course, barely escaping sailing into the open gulf, directly into the hurricane, where it would have almost certainly been lost. Passenger Tom Ellis, an experienced captain in local waters, and a few other passengers observed the ship was off course. Ellis alerted Captain Abe Smith, who corrected the course and barely making headway against the winds, managed to pull into the channel behind the hotel. The Star was swept, crashing into shore and beached on the sand, where it stayed through the storm.


1856 Last Island hurricane, Impact and aftermath, Last Island
Visibility during the storm was extremely limited and eyes were blasted by sand until water covered the beaches. Sometime between 4:00 and 5:00 PM the storm surge occurred suddenly, with the water rising several feet in a matter of minutes. The storm surge submerged the entire island and destroyed all of the buildings. The hotel, which held many women and children on the second floor and men on the first, collapsed, crushing many and sweeping others out to sea.


1856 Last Island hurricane, Impact and aftermath, Last Island
Several survivors managed to make their way to the hull of the Star. By tying himself with a rope to the Star, Captain Abe Smith was able to rescue at least 40 people from the storm surge. The Star would serve as a shelter for the survivors until rescuers arrived three days later.


1856 Last Island hurricane, Impact and aftermath, Last Island
Many managed to survive by sheltering in or behind overturned cisterns, which were large wooden cylindrical tanks reinforced with iron hoops. Some clung to the raised foundations of the cisterns and a few to trees. A dozen people survived by clinging to a large piece of rotating playground equipment atop a levee. Many people floated on debris, including wall sections, logs and furniture. A sturdy wooden enclosure that held large terrapins, a regional delicacy, provided enough protection to save several individuals. Another group survived by burying their feet in the sand and holding hands. Some survivors were carried to the marshes on the mainland, although some perished from injuries or lack of food and water.


1856 Last Island hurricane, Impact and aftermath, Last Island
Of the approximately 400 vacationers on the island, 198 were known or presumed dead and 203 were known survivors. Dixon (2009) provides lists of survivors and the dead.


1856 Last Island hurricane, Impact and aftermath, Last Island
Several of the victims were enslaved people. Some of the enslaved people were credited with rescuing others, including several children.


1856 Last Island hurricane, Impact and aftermath, Last Island
The tragedy had a major impact on the planter society, which lost many members. At the time of the hurricane approximately two-thirds of the millionaires in the U.S. lived in Louisiana, many of those being plantation owners, especially sugar growers. Of the social group affected, many were friends, acquaintances, or related by marriage or known through business.


1856 Last Island hurricane, Impact and aftermath, Last Island
The family home of three of the Last Island casualties was Shadows-on-the-Teche in New Iberia, Louisiana, now a National Historic Landmark. Mrs. Frances Weeks (Magill) Pruett and her children Mary Ida Magill and Augustine Magill died in the natural disaster. The two children were buried in the plantation's cemetery.


1856 Last Island hurricane, Impact and aftermath, Last Island
The island itself was split into the Last Islands (Isles Dernieres). The island reportedly stayed submerged for several days before parts of it re-emerged as large sandbars. After the storm surge, the remains of the Star were the only sign that an island had ever existed there. Presently, the area is the Isles Dernieres Barrier Islands Refuge owned and managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to provide protected nesting grounds for pelicans and other waterbirds.


1856 Last Island hurricane, Impact and aftermath, Elsewhere
On Calliou Island, which was located near Last Island, four homes were destroyed and the others suffered substantial damage. Tides generated by the storm capsized two boats and swept away stock. The city of New Orleans was inundated with 13.14 inches (335 mm) of rain. Every building in Abbeville was destroyed, including St. Mary Magdalen Church. Crops along the Mermentau River suffered large losses from freshwater flooding. Farther east, storm surge and abnormally high tides left some sections of Plaquemines Parish inundated by several feet of water, resulting in a near-total loss of rice crops. Severe losses to orange crops were reported in the area. Extensive damaged occurred in St. Tammany Parish at Lewisburg, Mandeville, and other areas near the Tchefuncte River. The storm swept away bathhouses and wharves, while also downing fences, trees, and vegetation.


1856 Last Island hurricane, In print
The disaster became national news as soon as three survivors salvaged a small boat and sailed to the mainland for help.


1856 Last Island hurricane, In print
In addition to the several first hand accounts, the story of Last Island has been republished periodically. The list below includes only a few versions:


1856 Liverpool Town Council election
Elections to Liverpool Town Council were held on Monday 2 November 1856. One third of the council seats were up for election, the term of office of each councillor being three years.


1856 Liverpool Town Council election, Election result
Because of the large number of uncontested seats, these statistics should be taken in that context.


1856 Liverpool Town Council election, Aldermanic Elections
On 10 November 1856, the term of office of eight aldermen who were elected on 9 November 1850 expired.


1856 Liverpool Town Council election, Aldermanic Elections
The following were elected as Aldermen by the Council on 10 November 1856 for a term of office of six years.


1856 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
The 1856 Massachusetts gubernatorial election on November 4. Incumbent Know-Nothing Governor Henry J. Gardner was re-elected to a third term, though his support largely came from his endorsement on the Republican Party ticket.


1856 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
This was the last election in which the Whig Party participated.


1856 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, Know-Nothing convention
The American Party convention was held at Faneuil Hall, Boston, on July 24, 1856.


1856 Massachusetts legislature
The 77th Massachusetts General Court, consisting of the Massachusetts Senate and the Massachusetts House of Representatives, met in 1856 during the governorship of Henry Gardner. Elihu C. Baker served as president of the Senate and Charles A. Phelps served as speaker of the House.


1856 Massachusetts legislature
Topics discussed included banks, bridges, fisheries, hospitals, prisons, railroads, schools, and other matters.


1856 Michigan gubernatorial election
The 1856 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1856. Incumbent Republican Kinsley S. Bingham defeated Democratic nominee Alpheus Felch with 56.90% of the vote.


1856 Missouri gubernatorial election
The 1856 Missouri gubernatorial election was held on August 2, 1852, the Democratic nominee, Trusten Polk, defeated Know-Nothing candidate Robert C. Ewing (running under the American Party label), and former Senator Thomas H. Benton. Benton ran as an Independent Democrat under the label "Benton Democrat."


1856 Missouri gubernatorial election
In February 1857, Trusten Polk would be elected to the United States Senate; he therefore resigned the governorship, was replaced by Lt. Gov. Hancock Lee Jackson, and forced a special election to be called for August 1857 to fill the remainder of the term.


1856 Motueka and Massacre Bay by-election
The 1856 Motueka and Massacre Bay by-election was a by-election held in the Motueka and Massacre Bay electorate during the 2nd New Zealand Parliament, on 19 May 1856.


1856 Motueka and Massacre Bay by-election
The by-election was caused by the resignation of incumbent MP Charles Parker on 15 April 1856, and was won unopposed by Herbert Curtis. It is widely believed his electoral capitulation was related to the health of his eldest daughter. He was re-elected to parliament representing Motueka and Massacre Bay.


1856 New Brunswick general election
The 1856 New Brunswick general election was a very close election. The conservative members of Parliament manage to claim 21 seats, to the liberals' 20. Premier Charles Fisher's alliance of Liberal MLAs were ousted from government, and John Hamilton Gray became the new Premier of the colony. The main issue of the election was Prohibition. In 1855, the Liberals had passed a legislation banning alcohol in the colony, following Maine's example. The new administration repealed this act in a special session immediately after forming government.


1856 New Jersey gubernatorial election
The 1856 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1856. William A. Newell, running on a fusion ticket opposed to the Franklin Pierce administration, defeated Democratic nominee William Cowper Alexander with 51.29% of the vote.


1856 New Jersey gubernatorial election, Nominations, Fusion
A group of thirty-four legislators opposed to the administration of President Franklin Pierce called for a mass meeting to nominate an opposition candidate for Governor. On Wednesday, June 4 at Temperance Hall in Trenton, Whigs, Republicans, Know-Nothings, and Free-Soilers joined to nominate former U.S. Representative William A. Newell for Governor by acclamation. The meeting was presided over by William Dayton with William Pennington and Theodore Frelinghuysen among those in attendance.


1856 New Jersey gubernatorial election, Nominations, Fusion
Newell's nomination was later ratified at a meeting of Fillmore-Donelson supporters in Jersey City on July 9. He was also co-ratified by supporters of the Republican Fremont-Dayton ticket on July 11 in New Brunswick. Their resolution referred to Newell as the "opposition candidate."


1856 New Jersey gubernatorial election, Nominations, Democratic
The Democratic Party met in Trenton on August 6 and nominated New Jersey Senate President William Cowper Alexander for Governor.


1856 New Jersey gubernatorial election, Nominations, Democratic
The names of John W. Fennimore, Joseph C. Potts, Edwin R. V. Wright, Joseph Kille, and Charles Skelton were also placed in nomination, though Skelton's name was immediately withdrawn by Philemon Dickinson. Wright's name was also withdrawn by his request, communicated to the convention by Edmund Charles. As voting continued and Alexander built a majority, the names of Fennimore, Potts, and Kille were also successively withdrawn, leaving Alexander as the convention's unanimous nominee.


1856 New South Wales colonial election
The 1856 New South Wales colonial election was held between 11 March and 19 April 1856. This election was for all of the 54 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and it was conducted in 18 single-member constituencies, 13 2-member constituencies, two 3-member constituencies and one 4-member constituency, all with a first past the post system.


1856 New South Wales colonial election
This was not a secret ballot and voters were required to write their name and address on the ballot paper.


1856 New South Wales colonial election
Only men aged over 21 who owned at least a certain amount of land or had above a certain income, could vote. If a man fulfilled these requirements in multiple constituencies, then he was allowed to cast a vote in each. This was known as plural voting.


1856 New South Wales colonial election
Indigenous men were allowed to vote in theory (there was no specific law against them voting), but in practice they were generally not aware of the process, not encouraged to enrol, and were mostly excluded and unable to participate in the election. In 1856, the Australian frontier wars were ongoing between various Aboriginal First Nations and the NSW government and colonists.


1856 New South Wales colonial election
This was the first election held since the introduction of self-government in New South Wales. The resulting parliament, devoid of anything resembling party structure, ran for two weeks before Stuart Donaldson assumed the premiership, and struggled to deliver stable government during its term.


1856 New South Wales colonial election, Results
New South Wales colonial election, 11 March 1856 – 19 April 1856 Legislative Assembly –1858 >>


1856 New York state election
The 1856 New York state election was held on November 4, 1856, to elect the governor, the lieutenant governor, a Canal Commissioner, an Inspector of State Prisons and the Clerk of the Court of Appeals, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly.


1856 New York state election, History
After losing the elections of 1853, 1854 and 1855 due to the split of the Party and running separate tickets, the national organization of the Democratic Party urged the factions to re-unite. The Soft state convention met on July 30 at Market Hall in Syracuse, New York, Gouverneur Kemble was Temporary Chairman. The Hard state convention met at the same time at Corinthian Hall in the same city, Samuel Fowler was Temporary Chairman. The Soft delegates adopted a resolution to unite with the Hards and marched to Corinthian Hall where both factions assembled together.


1856 New York state election, History
William C. Crain was chosen President, William M. Tweed was one of the secretaries.


1856 New York state election, History
Judge Amasa J. Parker (a Soft) was nominated for Governor on the fourth ballot (first ballot:Addison Gardiner 69, David L. Seymour 46, Parker 33, Fernando Wood 25, John Vanderbilt 21, Horatio Seymour 21, Augustus Schell 11, E. Corning 9, Judge Brown 8, Henry W. Rogers 7, Daniel S. Dickinson 1, Samuel Fowler 1, Brownson 1, Porter 1; second ballot: Gardiner 78, D. L. Seymour 67, Parker 39, Wood 26, Schell 22, Vanderbilt 18, Corning 3, Fowler 1; third ballot: Gardiner 80, D. L. Seymour 60, Parker 39, Schell 30, Wood 22, Vanderbilt, 15; then the names of Schell, Gardiner and Wood were withdrawn). The convention then adjourned and re-assembled the next day to complete the ticket with John Vanderbilt (a Hard) for Lieutenant Governor, and John Leslie Russell (the father of later Attorney General Leslie W. Russell) for Canal Commissioner.


1856 New York state election, History
The American state convention met on September 23 and 24 at Rochester, New York, J. W. Barker presided. Erastus Brooks, the editor of the New York Express, was nominated for Governor by acclamation. Lyman Odell was nominated for Lieutenant Governor on the first ballot (the other candidates were Jesse C. Dann and Goodwin Denniston). Amos H. Prescott was nominated for Canal Commissioner. Alexander Mann, of Monroe County, was nominated for Clerk of the Court of Appeals.


1856 New York state election, History
The North American state convention, a secession from the American Party which had considered joining the Republicans, met on the same day at the Court House in the same city, F. W. Walker presided. In the afternoon, after some debate, they marched into the American convention and re-united, endorsing their ticket, and declaring support of the American presidential candidates Millard Fillmore and Andrew Jackson Donelson.


1856 New York state election, Result
The whole Republican ticket was elected. None of the incumbents ran for re-election.


1856 New York state election, Result
81 Republicans, 31 Democrats and 8 Americans were elected for the session of 1857 to the New York State Assembly.


1856 Northumberland Boroughs colonial election re-count
In August 1856 the Committee of Elections and Qualifications conducted a re-count of the 1856 election for the district of Northumberland Boroughs, in which Bourn Russell had been declared elected by a margin of 8 votes over Elias Weekes.


1856 Northumberland Boroughs colonial election re-count
The returning officer was Isaac Gorrick who was a friend of Bourn Russell. The nomination of Russell was moved by Edward Close and seconded by John Kingsmill. Once a poll was called for, Gorrick appointed Close and Kingsmill as deputy returning officers. In January Close had also chaired a meeting at Morpeth where Weekes had addressed the voters.


1856 Northumberland Boroughs colonial election re-count
William Christie lodged a petition with a £100 deposit, against the election alleging that more than 20 people who were unqualified to vote had voted for Russell. This was not a secret ballot and voters were required to write their name and address on the ballot paper. Christie subsequently published a list of the 21 people whose votes had been struck off. Because the committee was able to identify the ballot papers for people who were unable to vote, they recounted the eligible votes and declared that Elias Weekes had been elected.


1856 Norwegian parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Norway in 1856. As political parties were not officially established until 1884, all those elected were independents. The number of seats in the Storting was increased from 107 to 111. Voter turnout was 44.1%, although only 5% of the country's population was eligible to vote.


1856 Parramatta colonial by-election
A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Parramatta on 11 October 1856 because Henry Parker had been appointed Premier and Colonial Secretary, forming the Parker ministry.


1856 Philadelphia mayoral election
The Philadelphia mayoral election of 1856 saw the election of Richard Vaux.


1856 Philadelphia tornado
On  April 12, 1856, there was a strong tornado that struck the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At morning, Philadelphia was experiencing high westernly winds, with little rain and humid air. It was around 10 pm where winds started to pick up, occupied with lightning, and hail. The storm was most felt at Northern Philadelphia, where the tornado struck. This tornado might have been part of a tornado family, as 30 minutes before the Philadelphia tornado struck, another tornado struck West Chester, killing one. This tornado also may have been part of a Derecho event producing an outbreak, as another strong tornado struck Alliance, Ohio, and storm damage reported from Chicago to Cleveland down to New Jersey.


1856 Philadelphia tornado, Impact
The tornado formed in Chester County, between 9:30 and 10 pm moving east, striking Norristown, tearing fences. The tornado continued to move east, knocking down a train and then turned more southeast until it struck Northeast Philadelphia at 10 pm, lasting for 10 to 15 minutes, immediately smashing windows, lifting signs, damaging and unroofing 200 houses. The estimated damage caused by the tornado is said to be around $100,000 ($2.51 million in 2018). The tornado continued southeast and struck Camden.


1856 Philadelphia tornado, Impact
Several trains were knocked off of their rails; one loaded with 10 cars was moved 100 yards on the track, with 5 of the cars blown off. Two large brick churches and three factories were unroofed in Kensington, with parts of the roof landing and demolishing a two-story frame building that had 6 children in the lower floor. Five houses were completely destroyed. The worst damage from this tornado was a large boiler house of the Franklin Iron Works that was completely demolished.


1856 Philadelphia tornado, Impact
After the tornado dissipated, the storm itself would still cause damage, lifting a shed 150 yards in Tacony, stripping and damaging many buildings in Newark, blowing down a house near Elkton, killing two, blowing in a church in Bridgewater, ripping a roof off of a bridge in Beaver, and blowing down the York Furnace Bridge.


1856 Philadelphia tornado, Impact
The tornado caused telegraph line outages lasting several days west of Philadelphia.


1856 Philadelphia tornado, Aftermath
The tornado left North Philadelphia in ruins, leaving 9 injured. The storm damaged most of eastern Pennsylvania.


1856 Portuguese legislative election
The Portuguese legislative election, 1856 was held on 9 November.


1856 Republican National Convention
The 1856 Republican National Convention was a presidential nominating convention that met from June 17 to June 19 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the first national nominating convention in the history of the Republican Party, and was held to nominate the party's candidates for president and vice president in the 1856 election. The convention selected former Senator John C. Frémont of California for president and former Senator William L. Dayton of New Jersey for vice president. The convention also appointed the members of the newly-established Republican National Committee.


1856 Republican National Convention
The Republican Party had been organized by opponents of the expansion of slavery in the territories following the passage of the 1854 Kansas–Nebraska Act. With William Seward, Salmon P. Chase, and Charles Sumner all taking their names out of consideration, Frémont entered the Republican convention as the front-runner for the presidential nomination. Frémont had previously been nominated by the North American Party, which consisted of anti-slavery members of the American Party who were unwilling to support the American Party candidate, Millard Fillmore. Though Associate Justice John McLean of Ohio had the backing of some delegates, Frémont clinched the presidential nomination on the first formal ballot of the Republican convention.


1856 Republican National Convention
Dayton was nominated on the first formal vice presidential ballot, defeating former Congressman Abraham Lincoln of Illinois and several other candidates. The Republican ticket carried several Northern states in the general election, but the Democratic ticket of James Buchanan and John C. Breckinridge won the 1856 election.


1856 Republican National Convention, History, Background
On June 19, 1855, a small gathering of like-minded individuals met in Washington, D.C. where they passed a resolution noting the recent abrogation of "all compromises, real or imaginary" by the opening of Kansas Territory and Nebraska Territory to the possible institution of slavery. These proclaimed themselves the "Republican Association of Washington, District of Columbia" and passed a simple four plank platform including the demand that "There should be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except for the punishment of crime, in any of the Territories of the United States." A number of state organizations were soon established along similar lines and the Republican Party was effectively born.


1856 Republican National Convention, History, Background
On January 17, 1856, representatives of Republican Party organizations in Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin — all Northern states in which slavery was prohibited — issued a joint call for an "informal Convention" to be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on February 22, 1856, in order to perfect the national organization and to call a formal, properly delegated national convention to nominate candidates for President and Vice-President of the United States for the forthcoming November 1856 election.


1856 Republican National Convention, History, Background
The gathering elected a governing National Executive Committee and passed various resolutions calling for the repeal of laws enabling slaveholding in free territories and "resistance by Constitutional means of Slavery in any Territory," defense of anti-slavery individuals in Kansas who were coming under physical attack, and a call to "resist and overthrow the present National Administration" of Franklin Pierce, "as it is identified with the progress of the Slave power to national supremacy." One speaker from Kansas was Samuel Newitt Wood who was central to all of the Bleeding Kansas events and according to The New York Times was the "lion of the evening."


1856 Republican National Convention, History, Background
The 22-member Republican National Committee, which included one representative from each state attending the Pittsburgh Convention, met in plenary session on March 27, 1856, at the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC, and issued a call for a formal presidential nominating convention. This was slated to begin on June 17, 1856, in Philadelphia. Each state organization was to be allocated six at-large delegates, plus three delegates for each congressional district.


1856 Republican National Convention, History, North American Party convention
The candidates to be nominated by the new Republican party were first nominated by the anti-slavery rump of the American Party.


1856 Republican National Convention, History, North American Party convention
Others from the North who were opposed to slavery formed their own party after the nomination of former President Millard Fillmore in Philadelphia. This party called for its national convention to be held in New York, New York, just before the Republican National Convention. Party leaders hoped to nominate a joint ticket with the Republicans to defeat Buchanan. The national convention was held on June 12 to 20, 1856 in New York.


1856 Republican National Convention, History, North American Party convention
As John C. Frémont was the favorite to attain the Republican nomination there was a considerable desire for the North American party to nominate him, but it was feared that in doing so they may possibly injure his chances to actually become the Republican nominee. The delegates voted repeatedly on a nominee for president without a result. Nathaniel P. Banks was nominated for president on the 10th ballot over John C. Frémont and John McLean, with the understanding that he would withdraw from the race and endorse John C. Frémont once he had won the Republican nomination.


1856 Republican National Convention, History, North American Party convention
The delegates, preparing to return home, unanimously nominated Frémont on the 11th ballot shortly after his nomination by the Republican Party in Philadelphia. The chairman of the convention, William F. Johnston, had been nominated to run for vice-president, but later withdrew when the North Americans and the Republicans failed to find an acceptable accommodation between him and the Republican nominee, William Dayton.


1856 Republican National Convention, The First Republican Convention
The first Republican National Convention was held in the Musical Fund Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 17 to 19, 1856. The convention approved an anti-slavery platform that called for congressional sovereignty in the territories, an end to polygamy in Mormon settlements, and federal assistance for a transcontinental railroad. John C. Frémont, John McLean, William Seward, Salmon Chase, and Charles Sumner all were considered by those at the convention, but the latter three requested that their names be withdrawn. McLean's name was initially withdrawn by his manager Rufus Spalding, but the withdrawal was rescinded at the strong behest of the Pennsylvania delegation led by Thaddeus Stevens. Frémont was nominated for president overwhelmingly on the formal ballot, and William L. Dayton was nominated for vice president over Abraham Lincoln.


1856 Růžena
1856 Růžena, provisional designation 1969 TW1, is a stony asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 6.6 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 8 October 1969, by Russian astronomer Lyudmila Chernykh at Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchny, on the Crimean peninsula. The asteroid was named after Růžena Petrovicova, staff member at Kleť Observatory.


1856 Růžena, Orbit and classification
Růžena orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 2.1–2.4 AU once every 3 years and 4 months (1,222 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.08 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic. The asteroid was first identified as 1941 FP at the Finnish Iso-Heikkilä Observatory. The body's observation arc, however, starts with its official discovery observation at Nauchnyj in 1969.


1856 Růžena, Physical characteristics
According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Růžena measures 6.62 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.335. As of 2016, the body's rotation period and shape remain unknown.


1856 Růžena, Naming
This asteroid was named in honor of Růžena Petrovicova, observer of comets and minor planets and staff member of the Kleť Observatory, located in what is now the Czech Republic. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 June 1975 (M.P.C. 3825).


1856 Sewell Ministry
The Sewell Ministry was the first responsible government in New Zealand. Unlike previous executives, its members were held accountable to Parliament. This would form the basis for future governments in New Zealand.


1856 Sewell Ministry
The ministry formed in 1856, but lasted only one month, from 18 April to 20 May. From 7 May onwards, Henry Sewell held office as colonial secretary, considered to be the equivalent of a prime minister or premier. Thus, Sewell is regarded as the first prime minister of New Zealand.


1856 Sewell Ministry, Historic context
Sir George Grey, the 3rd Governor of New Zealand, greatly influenced the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 (UK). The British colony was granted self-government in 1853, which allowed for a bicameral Parliament consisting of an elected House of Representatives of 24 to 42 members, and an appointed Legislative Council of not fewer than ten members. It also allowed for provinces to be formed, each presided over by an elected Superintendent, for initially Auckland, Taranaki, Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury and Otago. Elections were held in 1853 for the provincial councils, the superintendents, and the House of Representatives. In this federal system, the central government had responsibility over defence and native affairs, and the provincial governments had substantial powers of their own.


1856 Sewell Ministry, Historic context
The governance system was set up where European settlements were scattered in small settlements, and communications and travel were rather difficult. Virtually all long distance transport was by sea.


1856 Sewell Ministry, Historic context
To be eligible to vote in either the provincial or national elections, voters had to be male owners of property valued at £50, or leasehold valued at £10. The first Parliament had 37 members, elected by 5849 voters, of which around 100 were Maori. Once the provincial governments had been set up, New Zealand had given itself six miniature parliaments, endeavouring to emulate Westminster as best they could, for a total European population of about 30,000. And all of that in addition to the bicameral Parliament.


1856 Sewell Ministry, Historic context
At the very first meeting of first Parliament in May 1854, a resolution was passed that the House be given responsible and representative government immediately, i.e. the power to appoint an Executive Council that has decision-making powers. Robert Wynyard, the administrator filling in after Grey's departure and before the arrival of the next Governor, Colonel Thomas Gore Browne, formed an Executive Council led by James FitzGerald (the Fitzgerald Ministry). When it became clear that the first ministers had no power, they resigned as the Executive after seven weeks.


1856 Sewell Ministry, Historic context
Wynyard prorogued Parliament as the members refused to accept his claim that responsible government was not possible without royal assent, which had not been given. In the next session, Thomas Forsaith, a member of the minority that supported Wynyard, was appointed by Wynyard to lead an Executive (the Forsaith Ministry). This appointed ministry did not have the confidence of Parliament and lasted only from 31 August to 2 September 1854.


1856 Sewell Ministry, Historic context
When Browne arrived, he announced that self-government would begin with the 2nd New Zealand Parliament.


1856 Sewell Ministry, First responsible government
Henry Sewell, who had been a member of the 1st Parliament, stood for re-election in the Town of Christchurch electorate, and was returned. As a result of his previous service on Fitzgerald's first Executive Council, Sewell was asked by Browne to form a government. He was appointed to the Executive Council on 18 April 1856, and became Colonial Secretary (considered to be the equivalent of Prime Minister), at the head of New Zealand's first responsible government, on 7 May. Dillon Bell became Colonial Treasurer, Frederick Whitaker became Attorney-General, and Henry Tancred became a minister without portfolio. Whitaker and Tancred were both members of the Legislative Council.


1856 Sewell Ministry, First responsible government
Previously, the Executive Council had functioned as an advisory group to the Governor, and ministerial functions were performed by appointed officials, not politicians. The various "ministers" serving on the Council, such as Andrew Sinclair (Colonial Secretary since 1844) and Alexander Shepherd (Colonial Treasurer since 1842), retired from their roles.


1856 State of the Union Address
The 1856 State of the Union Address was given by Franklin Pierce, the 14th president of the United States. It was presented to the 34th United States Congress by the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives.


1856 State of the Union Address
He said, "it is necessary only to say that the internal prosperity of the country, its continuous and steady advancement in wealth and population and in private as well as public well-being, attest the wisdom of our institutions and the predominant spirit of intelligence and patriotism which, notwithstanding occasional irregularities of opinion or action resulting from popular freedom, has distinguished and characterized the people of America."


1856 State of the Union Address
He also stated, "In the long series of acts of indirect aggression, the first was the strenuous agitation by citizens of the Northern States, in Congress and out of it, of the question of Negro emancipation in the Southern States." President Pierce supported the Kansas-Nebraska act. This neutralized the issue of slavery in the central states, and did not say whether to allow it or not.


1856 Tasmanian colonial election
The 1856 Tasmanian colonial elections took place from 8 to 22 September 1856 (for the House of Assembly) and 6 to 17 October 1856 (for the Legislative Council). The elections were the first to be held under the Electoral Act 1856, which established responsible government in Tasmania (until 1 January 1856 called Van Diemen's Land) and created a bicameral parliament consisting of the 30-member Tasmanian House of Assembly and the 15-member Tasmanian Legislative Council.


1856 Tasmanian colonial election
Members were elected using first-past-the-post voting. Following the election, William Champ became the first Premier of Tasmania on 1 November 1856, but his government lasted only 117 days.


1856 Tasmanian colonial election, Results, House of Assembly
Elections for members of the House of Assembly took place between 8 and 22 September 1856. Members were elected from single-member 24 single-member divisions, while Hobart Town returned 5 members and Launceston returned 3 members. 16 members were elected unopposed, while the other members were elected using first-past-the-post voting.


1856 Town of Christchurch by-election
The Town of Christchurch by-election of 1856 was a by-election held in the Town of Christchurch electorate during the 2nd New Zealand Parliament, on 18 November 1856.


1856 Town of Christchurch by-election
The by-election was caused by the resignation of incumbent MP Henry Sewell and was won by Richard Packer. Packer had been invited to stand for election in the 1855 election, but he had declined the requisition because of the popularity of Sewell, the incumbent. Sewell resigned on 16 August 1856, the final day of the first session of the 2nd New Zealand Parliament. This was in preparation of his departure for England.


1856 Town of Christchurch by-election
Sewell was a member of the first Stafford Ministry and had agreed with Stafford to remain in Auckland, where the seat of Parliament was at the time, so that Stafford could attend to business in his home town Nelson for one or two months. Sewell left at the end of October from Auckland on the William Denny for England via Sydney, i.e. he did not return to Canterbury first.


1856 Town of Christchurch by-election
The by-election was held on Tuesday, 18 November 1856. The Lyttelton Times, one of two newspapers in Canterbury at the time, merely reported that there was a general lack of excitement about the election. The lack of reporting of the voting suggests that Packer was elected unopposed; an advertised writ would confirm whether nomination day was the same as the date recorded for the election (the two only fall on the same day if there is only one candidate), but no writ appears in the Lyttelton Times. It is likely that the writ was advertised in Joseph Brittan's Canterbury Standard, as that newspaper was printed in Christchurch.


1856 Town of Christchurch by-election
Packer served in the 2nd New Zealand Parliament until his resignation on 28 December 1859. The resulting by-election was contested by the publican and political novice Michael Hart, and by Sewell, who had returned from England. Hart accused Packer of having been a locum tenens (i.e. a place holder) for Sewell. This may or may not have been true, but at the very least, it could not have easily been arranged before Packer's election, as Sewell had not returned from Auckland before his return to England.


1856 United States House of Representatives election in Florida
The 1856 United States House of Representatives election in Florida was held on Monday, October 6, 1856 to elect the single United States Representative from the state of Florida, one from the state's single at-large congressional district, to represent Florida in the 35th Congress. The election coincided with the elections of other offices, including the presidential election, the senatorial election, the gubernatorial election, and various state and local elections.


1856 United States House of Representatives election in Florida
The winning candidate would serve a two-year term in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1857, to March 4, 1859.


1856 United States House of Representatives election in Florida, Background
Florida's single seat in the House of Representatives had been held by the Democrats since 1852. In the 1854 election, the Democratic Party made key gains in the former Whig strongholds of Pensacola and Jacksonville. By 1856, the Whig Party had collapsed, and they were replaced in the South by the Know Nothing Party, also known as the American Party, which was serving as a successor to the prior Anti-Masonic Party.


1856 United States House of Representatives election in Florida, Campaign
Baker campaigned heavily alongside the Know Nothing candidates for president and governor, former President Millard Fillmore and former Tallahassee Mayor David S. Walker, respectively. However, Baker fell severely ill during the election and was not able to campaign properly for the last few months, instead relying on Walker to campaign for him. This put Baker, a political unknown, at a severe disadvantage to Hawkins, who was a popular judge throughout the state.


1856 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania
The 1856 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on January 14, 1856. William Bigler was elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate.


1856 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, Background
The Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, convened on February 13, 1855, for the regularly scheduled Senate election for the term beginning on March 4, 1855. Two ballots were recorded on February 13, followed by three on February 27, 1855. On the fifth and final ballot during this convention, former Senator Simon Cameron had led with 55 votes to future Senator Charles R. Buckalew's 23. No candidate was elected, however, and the hung election convention adjourned by a vote of 66 to 65. Upon the expiration of incumbent James Cooper's term on March 4, 1855, the seat was vacated and would remain vacant until William Bigler's election in January 1856.


1856 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, Results
On January 14, 1856, the election convention of the General Assembly re-convened and elected Democratic former Governor of Pennsylvania William Bigler on the first ballot to serve the remainder of the term that began on March 4, 1855 and would expire on March 4, 1861. The results of the vote of both houses combined are as follows:


1856 United States elections
The 1856 United States elections elected the members of the 35th United States Congress and the President to serve from 1857 until 1861. The elections took place during a major national debate over slavery, with the issue of "Bleeding Kansas" taking center stage. Along with the 1854 elections, these elections saw the start of the Third Party System, as the Republican Party absorbed the Northern anti-slavery representatives who had been elected in 1854 under the "Opposition Party" ticket (consisting largely of former Whigs) as the second-most powerful party in Congress. Minnesota and Oregon joined the union before the next election, and elected their respective Congressional delegations to the 35th Congress.


1856 United States elections
In the Presidential election, Democratic former Secretary of State James Buchanan defeated Republican General John Fremont and the American Party candidate, former President Millard Fillmore. Buchanan swept the South and split the North with Fremont, while Fillmore won Maryland. Buchanan had defeated incumbent President Franklin Pierce (the first elected president to lose his party's presidential nomination) and Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois on the 17th ballot at the 1856 Democratic National Convention. Fremont defeated Supreme Court Justice John McLean at the 1856 Republican National Convention to take the Republican nomination. Fillmore's third-party candidacy took over twenty percent of the popular vote, the best popular vote showing by a third party until Theodore Roosevelt's 1912 candidacy.


1856 United States elections
In the House, the Democratic Party won several seats to take the plurality, but narrowly missed taking the majority. The Republican Party established itself as the second-largest party in the House, replacing the Opposition Party. The American Party lost numerous seats, but continued to maintain a presence in the House. Democrat James Lawrence Orr won election as Speaker of the House.


1856 United States elections
In the Senate, Democrats made minor gains, maintaining their commanding majority. The Republican Party replaced the Opposition Party as the second-largest party, while the American Party picked up a small number of seats.


1856 United States presidential election
The 1856 United States presidential election was the 18th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 4, 1856. In a three-way election, Democrat James Buchanan defeated Republican nominee John C. Frémont, and Know Nothing nominee and former President Millard Fillmore.


1856 United States presidential election
This was the only time in U.S. history in which a political party denied renomination to the incumbent president and won. Incumbent Democratic President Franklin Pierce was widely unpopular in the North because of his support for the pro-slavery faction in the ongoing civil war in territorial Kansas, and Buchanan defeated Pierce at the 1856 Democratic National Convention. Buchanan, a former Secretary of State, had avoided the divisive debates over the Kansas–Nebraska Act by virtue of his service as the Ambassador to the United Kingdom.


1856 United States presidential election
Slavery was the main issue, and with it the question of survival of the United States as it then existed. The Democrats were seen as the pro-slavery party; the new Republican party, though certainly in favor of national abolition, limited its efforts to the politically more manageable question of the extension of slavery into federal territories (and its removal from the District of Columbia). The nativist Know Nothings (known formally as the American Party) competed with the Republicans to replace the moribund Whig Party as the primary opposition to the Democrats.