In June 1864 the Republican Party held its national convention in Baltimore, Maryland. At the convention, Republicans loyal to L
incoln temporarily changed the name of the party to the National Union Party. The name change was designed to attract Democrats who supported Lincoln and the war. At the convention, the party published a document called The Two Roads to Peace. It compared Lincoln’s platform, called the Baltimore Platform, to McClellan’s platform, known as the Chicago Platform. This excerpt gives a biased comparison of the two platforms. Read the excerpt and summarize in your own words the two options that the writer is asking the voter to consider. AMERICANS! Here you have two plans for ending the Rebellion, restoring peace, and preserving the Union. They differ in every essential feature. They agree in scarcely anything. Here are some of their points of contrast . . .
The Chicago Platform proposes that the Rebellion be stopped by IMMEDIATE EFFORTS FOR A CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES on the part of the Government. The Baltimore Platform proposes to "quell it by FORCE of ARMS." The first is Surrender—the last VICTORY! Which do you prefer?
The National Union Party was the temporary name used by the Republican Party, and elements of other parties for the national ticket in the 1864 presidential election that was held during the Civil War. For the most part, state Republican parties did not change their name.[1] The temporary name was used to attract War Democrats and border states, Unconditional Unionists and Unionist Party members who would not vote for the Republican Party. The party nominated incumbent Republican President Abraham Lincoln and for Vice President Democrat Andrew Johnson, who were elected in an electoral landslide.
