Defeated
Losing Presidential Candidates in American History
1st Edition
Published on 13. November 2025
256 pages
978-1-5381-9296-2 (ISBN)
Description
A unique examination of U.S. politics and history told through the lives and campaigns of the losing presidential candidates.
As time marches on, more political history seems to get lost in American schools and homes. But the policies and beliefs of presidential candidates provide a fascinating glimpse into the entire history of the United States.
In Defeated: Losing Presidential Candidates in American History, Martin Gitlin offers a unique and informative look at U.S. politics and history through the lives and campaigns of presidential hopefuls who are often overlooked because they lost their bid for the presidency. Each chapter profiles a losing candidate for a specific election--including third-party candidates who made an impact--and features an examination of key issues of the day, details of the election itself, and what happened to the candidate after their loss.
Covering every election from 1796 to 2024, Defeated provides invaluable insight into the policies and personalities of presidential candidates and the history of a nation.
As time marches on, more political history seems to get lost in American schools and homes. But the policies and beliefs of presidential candidates provide a fascinating glimpse into the entire history of the United States.
In Defeated: Losing Presidential Candidates in American History, Martin Gitlin offers a unique and informative look at U.S. politics and history through the lives and campaigns of presidential hopefuls who are often overlooked because they lost their bid for the presidency. Each chapter profiles a losing candidate for a specific election--including third-party candidates who made an impact--and features an examination of key issues of the day, details of the election itself, and what happened to the candidate after their loss.
Covering every election from 1796 to 2024, Defeated provides invaluable insight into the policies and personalities of presidential candidates and the history of a nation.
More details
Edition
1. Auflage
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
US School Grade: From Seventh Grade to Twelfth Grade, Reading Age: From 12 years, Interest Age: From 12 to 18 years
Illustrations
52 bw photos
ISBN-13
978-1-5381-9296-2 (9781538192962)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
approx. 01/2026
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
€35.50
Not yet published
Person
Martin Gitlin is a former newspaper journalist who won more than 45 awards, including first place for general excellence from the Associated Press. That organization selected him as one of the top four feature writers in Ohio. He has had more than 200 books published, including The Spirit of Freedom: Powerful Women of the Civil Rights Movement (2024).
Content
Introduction
1: Thomas Jefferson (1796)
2: John Adams (1800)
3: Charles Pinckney (1804, 1808)
4: DeWitt Clinton (1812)
5: Rufus King (1816)
6: The Two-Party System (1820)
7: Andrew Jackson (1824)
8: Henry Clay (1824, 1832, 1844)
9: William Crawford (1824)
10: John Quincy Adams (1828)
11: William Henry Harrison (1836)
12: Martin Van Buren (1840)
13: Lewis Cass (1848)
14: Winfield Scott (1852)
15: John C. Fremont (1856)
16: John C. Breckinridge (1860)
17: George B. McClellan (1864)
18: Horatio Seymour (1868)
19: Horace Greeley (1872)
20: Samuel J. Tilden (1876)
21: Winfield Scott Hancock (1880)
22: James G. Blaine (1884)
23: Grover Cleveland (1888)
24: Benjamin Harrison (1892)
25: William Jennings Bryan (1896, 1900, 1908)
26: Alton B. Parker (1904)
27: Theodore Roosevelt (1912)
28: Charles Evans Hughes (1916)
29: James M. Cox (1920)
30: John W. Davis (1924)
31: Al Smith (1928)
32: Herbert Hoover (1932)
33: Alf Landon (1936)
34: Wendell Willkie (1940)
35: Thomas E. Dewey (1944, 1948)
36: Adlai Stevenson (1952, 1956)
37: Richard Nixon (1960)
38: Barry Goldwater (1964)
39: Hubert Humphrey (1968)
40: George McGovern (1972)
41: Gerald Ford (1976)
42: Jimmy Carter (1980)
43: Walter Mondale (1984)
44: Michael Dukakis (1988)
45: George H. Bush (1992)
46: Bob Dole (1996)
47: Al Gore (2000)
48: John Kerry (2004)
49: John McCain (2008)
50: Mitt Romney (2012)
51: Hillary Clinton (2016)
52: Donald Trump (2020)
53: Kamala Harris (2024)
Notes
About the Author
1: Thomas Jefferson (1796)
2: John Adams (1800)
3: Charles Pinckney (1804, 1808)
4: DeWitt Clinton (1812)
5: Rufus King (1816)
6: The Two-Party System (1820)
7: Andrew Jackson (1824)
8: Henry Clay (1824, 1832, 1844)
9: William Crawford (1824)
10: John Quincy Adams (1828)
11: William Henry Harrison (1836)
12: Martin Van Buren (1840)
13: Lewis Cass (1848)
14: Winfield Scott (1852)
15: John C. Fremont (1856)
16: John C. Breckinridge (1860)
17: George B. McClellan (1864)
18: Horatio Seymour (1868)
19: Horace Greeley (1872)
20: Samuel J. Tilden (1876)
21: Winfield Scott Hancock (1880)
22: James G. Blaine (1884)
23: Grover Cleveland (1888)
24: Benjamin Harrison (1892)
25: William Jennings Bryan (1896, 1900, 1908)
26: Alton B. Parker (1904)
27: Theodore Roosevelt (1912)
28: Charles Evans Hughes (1916)
29: James M. Cox (1920)
30: John W. Davis (1924)
31: Al Smith (1928)
32: Herbert Hoover (1932)
33: Alf Landon (1936)
34: Wendell Willkie (1940)
35: Thomas E. Dewey (1944, 1948)
36: Adlai Stevenson (1952, 1956)
37: Richard Nixon (1960)
38: Barry Goldwater (1964)
39: Hubert Humphrey (1968)
40: George McGovern (1972)
41: Gerald Ford (1976)
42: Jimmy Carter (1980)
43: Walter Mondale (1984)
44: Michael Dukakis (1988)
45: George H. Bush (1992)
46: Bob Dole (1996)
47: Al Gore (2000)
48: John Kerry (2004)
49: John McCain (2008)
50: Mitt Romney (2012)
51: Hillary Clinton (2016)
52: Donald Trump (2020)
53: Kamala Harris (2024)
Notes
About the Author
