1880 Republican National Convention

In 1880, a HUGE meeting happened in Chicago, Illinois. It was called the Republican National Convention. Think of it like a giant party where grown-ups decided who they wanted to be the next President and Vice President of the United States. They had to pick from lots of different people who wanted the job! It was a very important decision for the whole country.

Lots of people wanted to be the Republican candidate! Three of the biggest names were Ulysses S. Grant, who had already been president, James G. Blaine, and John Sherman. It was like a race with many runners, and everyone was cheering for their favorite. They had to get a lot of votes to win, more than half of all the votes!

The voting went on for days and days! It was like a really long game of musical chairs. Finally, after many tries, a man named James A. Garfield won! He wasn't one of the first people everyone thought would win, which made him a 'dark horse' candidate. Then, Chester A. Arthur was chosen to be his partner for Vice President. It was a surprise ending!

This convention was the longest one ever! It lasted for six whole days. That's longer than a whole school week! The grown-ups had to vote many, many times to make sure they picked the right person. It shows how important it was to them to choose carefully for the country.