1. Changes in: American Political Parties
Introduction: Political Parties and their respective politicians are often labeled as lying “crooks”. This is how those crooks you vote for every 2 years came to be (or will vote for when we all turn 18 years of age thanks to the 26th Amendment). Spoiler alert: Yes, politicians have always lied. We were warned by the father of our Country not to have them or their parties but we didn’t listen...
A visual overview of the evolution of political parties can be seen on page 197 in the textbook. This presentation explains those transitions as swiftly as possible and also explains the New Left and Right.
Brian Seper

2. During the Early Republic (Chp. 9 and 10)
Alexander Hamilton, George Washington’s Secretary of the Treasury, formulated a plan to help pay off war and state debts by creating a national bank along with some various taxes. Thomas Jefferson and opponents of Hamilton’s economic policy, and Anti-Federalists organized into the Democratic-Republican Party (or Jeffersonian Republicans). This party is the origin of the modern Democratic and Republican Parties, and all other third parties.
Federalists:
City/Richer folk who tended to live in the Northeast and along the coast.
Favored Britain over France in Europe.
Architects of the Constitution
Examples: George Washington, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin
Jeffersonian Republicans (Anti-Feds):
Back-country folk, from the West and South
Supported the French in their Revolution
Wanted a Bill of Rights added to the Constitution
Examples: Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Patrick Henry

3. Death of the Federalists/Era of Good Feelings
Democratic Party Forms (Chp. 12)
HARTFORD CONVENTION: Took place from Dec. 15, 1814 to Jan. 5, Federalist convened and made a list of demands for the government: financial aid to make up for lost trade, an Amendment requiring a 2/3 majority to declare war, embargoes, and adding new states, lastly a clause not allowing consecutive presidents from the same state. THESE DEMANDS KILLED THE FEDERALIST PARTY (see page 239). THE END OF THE FEDERALIST LEAD INTO THE ERA OF GOOD FEELINGS ( ). The one party during this time was the National Republican Party (Headed by John Quincy Adams). In the late 1820’s, Martin Van Buren formulated the Democratic Party with Andrew Jackson as the spokesperson.
Fun Fact:The Donkey as a symbol of the Democratic Party started when somebody called Andrew Jackson a “donkey” but in less school appropriate terms.

4. The Rise and Fall of the Whigs (1830-1854)
The Whigs formed from hatred of Andrew Jackson, soon after the Democratic Party formed.
Consisted of:
Supporters of Henry Clay’s “American System”
Southern States Righters
Northern Industrialists and Merchants
Evangelical Protestants
Only elected two presidents (and both on a War-Hero Platform):
William Henry Harrison (1841) and Zachary Taylor ( ).
At this point political parties had come of age due to the tenaciousness of Jackson (page 283).
“The Whigs greatest contribution was to help uphold the idea of the Union through Southern electoral support and with party leaders like Henry Clay and Daniel Webster” (page 401).
The Whigs died as a party after the 1852 election and joined with other groups to form the Republican Party.

5. Republican Party (1854)
Fun Fact: the name GOP (Grand Old Party) derives from the Congressional Record labeling it the “gallant old party” in recognition of its defense of the Union during the Civil War. And the elephant symbol comes from a political cartoon made by Thomas Nast.
The party formed in the Midwest (mainly Wisconsin and Michigan) after blunders over the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
Composed of (originally):
Whigs, Free-Soil and Know-Nothing Parties, along with Northern Democrats.
Foes of the Kansas-Nebraska Act

6. Democrats and Republicans (1865-1900)
Due to the South, became revitalized in politics (bringing up question who won the Civil War?)
Pro-paper currency (spawning Greenback Labor Party later the Populist Party)
Ended Reconstruction with the Compromise of 1877
Grover Cleveland was only Democratic president elected in this time
Republicans:
All Republican Presidents during this time except for Cleveland
Pro-Hard Money
Pro-Big Business (laissez-faire)
Divided into Stalwart (Roscoe Conkling) and Half-Breed (James G. Blaine) factions in the 1870’s and 1880’s
Pro-expansion (McKinley)

7. Political Extremes New Left: New Right: Formed in the 1960’s
Started from Youth Culture and the Feminists.
Supported: Gay Rights, abortion, affirmative action and challenging traditional gender roles.
New Right:
Formed in the 1980’s in response to Great Society spending over 20 years.
Lead by Evangelical Christians
Less concerned by economy
More concerned with social issues.
Denounced: Abortion, Gay Rights, Feminism, and affirmative action.
Helped get Reagan elected in 1980 and reelected in 1984
Conflict much?

8. The End Result: Modern Political Ideologies (Extra Info)