Political Parties In the US

1787-1861

Today?

• What political parties currently exist in the US?

• When were they created?

• What are their positions? Philosophies?

The Beginning

• 1787 – Constitution of the United States– No political parties – not mentioned

• Caused some confusion

– George Washington president – did not belong to a party

• President – most electoral college votes

• Vice President- Second most votes

First Political Parties 1790’s

• Split between

• Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson

• Both in Washington’s Cabinet,

• Each had different ideas of government and the future path for America

1790’s development of political parties– Problem – conflicting ideas– Election of 1796 – Adams elected President and

Jefferson came in second becoming the Vice President

• Election of 1800 – Jefferson and Burr tied for President

12th Amendment 1804

• President and Vice President chosen separately– Would avoid ties and allow President and Vice-

President to be from the same political party• ( Remember electoral college members were given

2 votes each)

• Later on in the 19th century electoral college votes were based on popular vote of each state – so now the Vice President would be automatically elected with the president

• Yes American Politics is confusing!

• Federalist Party- Hamilton/ Adams– Focus on industry, merchants, business, urban

growth– Did not want too much western expansion– For increase in Federal government powers– Wanted Britain as a trading partners and ally

• Republican Party – Jefferson/ Madison– Less powers for the Federal Gov– Agrarian/rural focus– Western expansion– State government powers– Alliance with France

War of 1812

• End of the Federalist Party– Why?

• Weakened due to split between Adams and Hamilton

• Expansion West

• Did not support war – ( war became popular and seen as crucial to American Pride)

• Only 1 party now –Republican

• But split in the 1924 election – a 4 way tie

• Andrew Jackson – Democrats-Republicans– ( upset that he lost the election)

• John Quincy Adams – National Republicans– Elected president

Further Split in the 1830’s

• Democratic Party - Jackson

• Whig Party – named after a party in England to limit the King’s power

Democratic Party

• Andrew Jackson– Increased presidential power– Anti-national bank– Low taxes– Against big government and spending– Distrusted merchants and business leaders

Whig Party

• Henry Clay– Create a lager federal gov– Congressional Power– Modernization – industry, commercial

development– Centralized economy– Slavery?

Demise of the Whig Party

• Split over Slavery - Compromise of 1850

• Death of key leaders, Henry Clay and Daniel Webster

• Gone by the early 1850’s

Free Soil Party

• 1848

• Opposition to extension of slavery in the western territories

• Short lived party most joined the Republicans an 1854

American Party

• Also called the Know-Nothing Party

• Opposed slavery but also opposed immigration and Roman Catholics

1854 - Republicans

• Republican Party - an extension of Whig policies

• After the passage of the Kansas- Nebraska Act in 1854

• Opposed the extension of slavery– Combined Northern Whigs, Free Soil, Know

Nothing and northern Democrat

Kansas Nebraska Act 1854

• Popular Sovereignty – a vote on whether Slavery should exist

• Repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820 • Started a war in the region “Bleeding Kansas”

– Pro-slave settlers and Anti-slave settlers moved into the region and fought a Civil War

• Kansas had 2 governments during this time

Election of 1860?

• Republican – Abraham Lincoln

• Northern Democrat – Stephan Douglas

• Southern Democrat – John Breckenridge

• Constitutional Union -John Bell

1861

• Civil War

• Slavery was the Key Issue