Before the Revolution the two political parties in
America were the
Whigs and Tories.
The latter favored royalty, and the former, including Sons of Liberty, Liberty Men, and Patriots, advocated independence.
At the close of the Revolution the Whig party divided into Particularists, favoring State sovereignty and advocating confederation; and Strong Government, favoring a constitution.
In 1787 the Particularists became Anti-federalists and the
Strong Government party Federalists.
Since this, the history of the various political parties in the
United States has been as follows:
Principal parties.
Federal, 1787-1816.
Formed from the
Strong Government or Constitutional party.
Elected two
Presidents:
Washington, two terms, and
Adams, one term.
Advocated a tariff; internal revenue; funding the public debt; a United States bank; a militia; assumption of State debt by the government; favored
England as against
France; opposed a war with
England and a protective tariff.
Washington,
John Adams,
Hamilton,
Madison, and
Jay were among its principal supporters.
Democratic-Republican, 1793-1828.
Formed from the Anti-federal (1787-93), the
Republican or
Jeffersonian party (1791-93), and Democrats or sympathizers with the
French Revolutionists (1791-93). Elected three
Presidents:
Jefferson, two terms;
Madison, two terms;
Monroe, two terms.
Favored State rights; enlarged freedom;
France as against
England; war with
England; internal improvement; purchase of
Louisiana;
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purchase of
Florida;
Missouri Compromise, 1820;
Monroe doctrine; free-trade in 1800 and a protective tariff in 1828.
Democratic party, 1828
The Democratic-Republican party divided into four parts in the Presidential campaign of 1824 and never reappeared again in a national contest.
The Democratic (and Whig) party was constructed out of its ruins.
Has elected six
Presidents:
Jackson, two terms;
Van Buren,
Polk,
Pierce,
Buchanan, one term;
Cleveland, two terms.
Favored internal improvements; State banks; removal of deposits; sub-treasury; State rights; free-trade; tariff for revenue only; annexation of
Texas; Mexican War; compromise of 1850;
Monroe doctrine;
Dred Scott decision; fugitive slave law; acquisition of
Cuba; frugal public expense; free coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1.
Opposed agitation of the slavery question in any form or place; coercion of the seceded States; the amelioration of the condition of the freed negroes; freedmen's bureau;
Chinese immigration; strong government; opposes in general the policy of the other party in power.
Whig party, 1834-54
Formed from a union of the
National Republicans and disrupted Democratic-Republicans.
Elected two
Presidents:
Harrison and
Taylor.
Favored non-extension of slavery; slavery agitation—
i. e., right of petition and free circulation of anti-slavery documents; a United States bank; protective tariff; vigorous internal improvements; compromise of 1850.
Opposed the
Seminole War; annexation of
Texas; Mexican War; State rights; Democratic policy towards slavery.
Principal leaders of this party,
Webster and
Clay.
Republican, 1854.—Formed from other parties, principally from the Whig party, on the issues of the slavery question.
Has elected six
Presidents:
Lincoln, two terms;
Grant, two terms;
Hayes,
Garfield, and
Harrison, one term;
McKinley, two terms.
Favored the suppression of slavery; suppression of the rebellion; all constitutional means to accomplish it, financial and otherwise; emancipation of slaves; prohibition of slavery throughout the
United States; full citizenship to the emancipated slaves;
Monroe doctrine; full payment of the national debt; protective tariff; free ballot; generous pension legislation; decided increase of the navy and coast defence.
Opposed the free coinage of silver.
This party, while showing many able men, has never had a leader.
It has maintained its national position through the principles it has advocated.
Remark: Both the
Democratic and Republican, as the chief parties, recognize and assume to legislate on all questions of national importance—viz., civil-service reform; woman's suffrage; free ballot; justice to the laboring classes; private interests as against monopolies; the general finances of the country; temperance, etc.
Anti-federalist party.
A continuation of the Particularists.
See
Democratic-Republican on page 235.
Peace party, 1812-15
Composed of Democratic-Republicans and Federalists, mostly in
New England.
Opposed the
War of 1812.
See
Hartford convention.
Clintonians party, 1812
An offshoot of the Democratic-Republican party who opposed long terms of office, caucus nominations, a
Virginia President, and an official regency.
United with the Federalists.
Nominated
De Witt Clinton, of New York, for
President.
People's party, 1824
An offshoot of the
Democratic-Republicans in New York, who favored the choosing of electors by the people instead of State legislatures.
Supported
William H. Crawford for
President.
Coalition party, 1825
So called from the union of the supporters of
Clay with those of
John Quincy Adams in the
House, thus giving the Presidency to
Adams.
Anti-masonic party, 1827-34
Consisted of those who believed the members of the Masonic fraternity held their civil obligations subordinate to their fraternal, hence unworthy to hold office.
See
Morgan, William.
National-Republican, 1828-34.
The broad-construction wing of the Democratic-Republican party.
For internal improvements, protection, and a United States bank; for dividing proceeds of land sales among States.
Opposed to the spoils system.
United to form the Whig party, 1834.
Supported
John Quincy Adams, 1828, and
Henry Clay, 1832.
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237]
Nullification party, 1831-33
A
South Carolina party organized by
Calhoun.
See
State of South Carolina.
Liberal party, 1840-48
Founded at a national convention of abolitionists at
Albany, N. Y., deriving additional strength from Whigs and Democrats.
For the immediate abolition of slavery, and equal rights.
Against the fugitive-slave clause of the
Constitution.
Nominated
James G. Birney for
President, 1839, and again in 1843.
Withdrew their candidates and joined the Free-soil party in 1848.
Free-soil party, 1848-54
Formed from the
Liberty party, Democrats, and Whigs.
Chief cause of its appearance, opposition to slavery.
Merged into the Republican party.
Nominated
Martin Van Buren for
President, 1848, and
John P. Hale, 1852.
American party, 1852-60
Generally known as the “Know-nothing party.”
Formed from members of other parties dissatisfied with the influx and power of the foreign element.
Favored more stringent naturalization laws; reserved rights of States.
Opposed foreign immigration; suffrage and office-holding by foreign-born citizens; efforts to reject the
Bible from the public schools, etc. Nominated
Millard Fillmore for
President in 1856.
Merged into the Constitutional Union party in 1860.
See
know-nothing party.
Douglas Democrats, 1860
Northern Democrats, supporters of
Stephen A. Douglas in the disruption of the Democratic party in 1860.
Breckinridge Democrats party, 1860
Southern Democrats, supporters of
Breckinridge in 1860.
Constitutional Union party, 1860
Democrats, for the
Union, the
Constitution, and the enforcement of law; supporters of
Bell and
Everett.
Liberal Republicans, 1872.
Formed by dissatisfied Republicans, formerly mostly war Democrats.
Favored greater leniency towards the
Confederates.
Nominated
Horace Greeley for
President, 1872.
“Straight-out” Democrats, 1872.
The “Tap-root” Democrats, displeased by the nomination of
Greeley by the
Regular Democrats, nominated
Charles O'Conor for
President; declined, but received about 30,000 popular votes.
Temperance, 1872.
A national combination of local temperance organizations, became
Prohibition party, 1876
For legal prohibition; female suffrage; direct Presidential vote; currency convertible into coin.
Nominated James Black from
Pennsylvania for
President, 1872;
Green Clay Smith, 1876;
Neal Dow, 1880;
John P. St. John, 1884;
C. B. Fisk, 1888;
John Bidwell, 1892;
Joshua Levering, 1896;
John G. Woolley, 1900.
Greenback party, 1874
Became National Greenback Party, 1878; became Union Labor Party, 1887.—Unlimited coinage of
gold and
silver; substitution of greenbacks for national bank notes; suffrage without regard to sex; legislation in the interest of the laboring classes, etc. Nominated
Peter Cooper for
President, 1876;
James B. Weaver, 1880;
Benjamin F. Butler, 1884;
Alson J. Streeter, 1888.
These various elements, uniting with the “Farmers' Alliance,” form the
People's or Populists' party party, 1891
A meeting was held at
St. Louis, December. 1889, of the “Farmers and laborers' Union of America,” for the purpose of consolidating the various bodies of organized farmers in the
United States, which had at different times and places formed since 1867, and known under the general term of “The
Granger movement.”
This meeting was a success, and the consolidated body was called the “Farmers' Alliance and industrial Union.”
Dec. 2, 1890, a national convention was held at
Ocala, Fla.; thirty-five States and Territories were represented by 163 delegates: at this convention independent political action was decided upon, and a platform adopted embracing the following principles: (1) The abolition of the national banks, establishment of sub-treasuries to loan money to the people at 2 per cent., increase of circulation to $50 per capita: (2) laws to suppress gambling in agricultural products; (3) unlimited coinage of silver; (4) laws prohibiting alien ownership of land, and to permit the ownership of land in actual use only; (5) restricting tariff; (6) government to control railroads, telegraphs, etc.; (7) direct vote of the people for
President,
Vice-President, and
United States Senators.
Second convention held at
Cincinnati, May 19, 1891; thirty States and Territories represented
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with 1,418 delegates; at this convention the platform of
Ocala, Fla., 1890, was heartily endorsed and the party given the name of “People's party.”
Third national meeting at
St. Louis, Feb. 22, 1892. National convention for the nominating of
President and
Vice-President held at
Omaha, July 4, 1892;
James B. Weaver, of
Iowa, nominated for
President, and
James G. Field, of
Virginia, for
Vice-President.
United with the Democrats in 1896 and 1900 in nominating
William J. Bryan.
Socialist labor party.
First national convention held in New York City, Aug. 28, 1892, and nominated
Simon Wing, of
Massachusetts, for
President, and
Charles H. Matchett, of
Brooklyn, N. Y., for
Vice-President.
Nominated
Charles H. Matchett in 1896.
Joseph F. Malloney in 1900.
National Democrats, 1896
Formed by Democrats who opposed free silver.
Nominated
John N. Palmer, of
Illinois, for
President;
Simon B. Buckner, of
Kentucky, for
Vice-President.
Silver Republican party.
United with the Democratic party in nominating
William J. Bryan for
President.
National party, 1896.
For prohibition and free silver.
Nominated
Charles E. Bentley, of
Nebraska, for
President;
James H. Southgate, of
North Carolina, for
Vice-President.
Name was changed to Liberty party in 1897.
Middle-of-the-road, or Anti-fusion people's party
In 1900 nominated
Wharton Barker, of
Pennsylvania, for
President.
Union reform party
Nominated
Seth H. Ellis, of
Ohio, for
President in 1900.
Social Democratic
Nominated
Eugene V. Debs for
President in 1900.
United Christian party
In 1900 nominated
J. F. R. Leonard, of
Iowa, for
President.
Local parties and political names.
Abolitionists.
Abolitionists.
Anti-renters.
Anti-Rentism.
Opposers of the
Kansas-
Nebraska bill, 1854.
Barnburners.
Barnburners.
Bucktails.
Democratic followers of
Madison in 1816.
Doughfaces.
Doughfaces.
Half-breeds.
A term of contempt bestowed by the Stalwarts upon those who supported the administration of
President Hayes and opposed the nomination of
Grant for a third term, etc. Mugwumps.
Hunkers.
Barnburners.
Independent Republicans.—Started in 1879 in opposition to
Senator Conkling's leadership of the party.
Mugwumps.
Ku-klux Klan.
Ku-klux Klan.
Loco-foco.
Loco-foco.
Readjusters, 1878.
A division of the Democratic party in
Virginia advocating the funding of the
State debt at 3 per cent.; under the leadership of
General Mahone.
Silver
Grays.
Stalwarts.
A branch of the Republican party, followers of
Conkling,
Cameron, and
Logan, opposed to the reconciling course of
President Hayes towards the
South.
Favored the nomination of
Grant for a third term.
Opposers of
Blaine, etc.
Tammany.
Woman's rights
Belva Lockwood constituted herself a candidate for
President in 1876.
Polk,
James Knox 
