The 1852 Democratic National Convention assembled on June 1 in Baltimore , Maryland , and , as had been widely expected , a deadlock occurred . On the first ballot , 288 delegates , Cass claimed 116 of the 288 delegates , while Buchanan won 93 delegates and the remaining votes were scattered among various candidates . The next 34 ballots passed with no one near victory ; Pierce did not receive a single vote on any of the ballots . Eventually , the Buchanan team decided to have their delegates vote for minor candidates , including Pierce , to demonstrate that no one but Buchanan could win . This novel tactic backfired after several ballots when Virginia , New Hampshire , and Maine switched to Pierce . After the 48th ballot , North Carolina Congressman James C. Dobbin delivered an unexpected and passionate endorsement of Pierce , sparking a wave of support for the dark horse candidate . On the 49th ballot , Pierce received all but six of the votes , and thus gained the Democratic nomination for president . Delegates selected Alabama Senator William R. King , a Buchanan supporter , as Pierce 's running mate , and adopted a party platform that rejected further " agitation " over the slavery issue and supported the Compromise of 1850
1852 Democratic National Convention
1852 Democratic National Convention
Presidency of Franklin Pierce