Hannibal Hamlin (August 27, 1809 - July 4, 1891) was an American politician. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1833, and began to practice in Maine. Originally a Democrat, Hamlin began his political career with election to the Maine House of Representatives in 1835. In the 1840s Hamlin was elected and served in the House of Representatives. In 1848 the state house elected him to the Senate, where he served until 1857. His increasingly anti-slavery views caused him to leave the Democratic Party for the newly formed Republican Party. In 1860, Hamlin was the Republican nominee for Vice President. The Lincoln and Hamlin ticket was successful, and Hamlin served as Vice President from 1861-65. Hamlin held the office in an era when the incumbent was considered more a part of the legislative branch than the executive; he was not personally close to Lincoln and did not play a major role in his administration. For the 1864 election, Hamlin was replaced by Andrew Johnson, a southern Democrat chosen for his appeal to pro-Union southerners. In 1869, he was elected again to the Senate, and served two terms. He died in 1891 at the age of 81.