Charles Francis Adams Sr., August 18, 1807 (Boston, Mass.) – November 21, 1886 (Boston, Mass.)
VP candidate for Free Soil Party 1848
Running mate with nominee: Martin Van Buren (1782-1862)
Popular vote: 291,501 (10.12%)
Electoral vote: 0/290
The campaign: Comprised of refugees from the Liberty Party as well as disaffected Whigs and Democrats, the Free Soil Party's campaign of preventing the spread of slavery as America moved westward attracted former President Van Buren as the standard bearer and an Adams as the running mate, a formidable ticket for a third party. This would be the first of three attempts by a former President to regain the office via a third party run. Van Buren knew he wouldn't win but due to apparent personal animosity he wanted to deny Lewis Cass a victory (who beat him out of the Democratic nomination), which it seems he accomplished.
The Free Soil Party was on the ballot in just over half the states, all in the North. They placed second in Vermont (28.87%), Massachusetts (28.45%), New York (26.43%), and were possible spoilers in Connecticut swinging all of those states to the winner Zachary Taylor.
Election history:
1840-1843 Massachusetts House of Representatives (Whig)
1843-1845 Massachusetts State Senate (Whig)
1858-1861 US House of Representatives (Mass.) (Republican)
1872 - Nominee, US President (Liberal Republican) - defeated
1872 - US President (Anti-Masonic) - defeated
1876 - Governor of Massachusetts (Democratic) - defeated
Other occupations: author, historian, newspaper editor, United States Envoy to the United Kingdom 1861-1868, Harvard University Overseer, U.S. arbiter on the 1871–72 international commission to settle the "Alabama" claims,
Buried: Mount Wollaston Cemetery, Quincy, Mass.
Notes:
First third party VP candidate born in the 19th century.
Strongest showing by a third party up to that point in US history.
Son and grandson of US Presidents.
Declined the presidency of Harvard University
Started first presidential library (for John Quincy Adams)
His sister-in-law, Charlotte, was married to Edward Everett who would later be another third party running mate in 1860 (Constitutional Union Party)
His son, John Quincy Adams II, was a third party running mate in 1872 when nominated on the "Straight-Out Democratic" ticket.
As Ambassador to the UK, Adams was in correspondence with Karl Marx and passed along the economist's writings to President Lincoln.
Adams considered Lincoln to be vulgar, uncouth, and ill-prepared for the presidency.
His political benefactor in the 1860s was William H. Seward.
The 1848 election was the first US election that took place on the same day in every state.
