In 1896, William Jennings Bryan’s supporters took conrol of the national Democratic Party. Bryan argued that farmers and workers would be crucied on a “cross of gold” by conservative bankers and businessmen who insisted on a tight money supply. He lost the election, but the Democratic Party increasingly backed his populist principles. As Democrats began to take up Populist The Greenback Party supported government issue of paper The Populists opposed the gold standard and supported a causes, the Populist Party lost inuence. money to help farmers and businesses. By 1884, it also freer money supply. More generally, they advocated for In 1900 they ran a “Fusion” ticket, In the 1850s, Democrats adopted some Whig advocated an income tax, the eight-hour work day, and supporting the Democratic nominee for By 1828, supporters of Andrew Jackson had begun farmers and industrial workers and a stronger government positions, such as support for railroads. Northern women’s right to vote. The party quickly lost support. president, William Jennings Bryan. calling themselves Democrats. They wanted small The Free Soil Party opposed the expansion of slavery The Democrats, nally split over slavery, could to work for their interests rather than those of the parties. into the western territories — a popular issue in the and southern Democrats also agreed that slavery The election of 1800 was a government, and they opposed trade protection, In 1854, Whigs and Free-Soilers joined forces to not agree on a candidate in 1860. Northern and In 1872, Republicans calling for an end to wake of the Mexican War (1846–48). Running on the should be permitted in the western territories. As critical moment in American national banks, and paper money. Supporters of create the Republican Party. Republicans opposed Southern Democrats ran separate candidates, Reconstruction split and ran Horace Greeley for Peter Cooper James Baird Weaver Benjamin Franklin Butler The Liberty Party was organized in the 1840s slogan “Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Labor and Free a result, by 1856, the Democrats were nearly the democracy — the rst peaceful The Democratic-Republicans gradually John Quincy Adams, calling themselves National the expansion of slavery and adopted a progressive and their division allowed the Republicans to president on the Liberal Republican ticket. to advocate for the abolition of slavery. It had Men,” they elected several men to Congress. only party in the South. After the Constitution was ratied, exchange of power between adopted Federalist programs, including Republicans, wanted a strong central government platform, supporting railroads, the growth of cities, capture the White House. Democrats also nominated Greeley. little success but was an important forerunner GREENBACK James Weaver Wharton Barker there were no political parties. two parties. support for manufacturing and commerce that would support internal improvements and education, and homesteads for farmers. George Washington was elected and a stronger central government. promote commerce. to other anti-slavery eorts. without opposition. John C. Breckenridge SOUTHERN DEMOCRATIC POPULIST Andrew Jackson Thomas Jeerson Thomas Jeerson Thomas Jeerson James Madison James Madison James Monroe Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren James Polk Lewis Cass Franklin Pierce James Buchanan Horatio Seymour Samuel J. Tilden Wineld Scott Hancock Grover Cleveland Grover Cleveland Grover Cleveland William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan James Monroe Stephen Douglas George B. McClellan DEMOCRATIC Horace Greeley DEMOCRATIC DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICAN James Bierney James Bierney NORTHERN DEMOCRATIC John McCauley Palmer NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC John Bell William Crawford John P. Hale LIBERTY CONSTITUTIONAL LIBERAL George Washington George Washington Henry Clay UNION REPUBLICAN Willie Person Magnum Martin Van Buren FREE SOIL REPUBLICAN FEDERALIST NATIONAL REPUBLICAN WHIG Daniel Webster John C. Fremont Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant Rutherford B. Hayes James Gareld James Blaine Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison William McKinley William McKinley John Adams John Adams Charles Pinkney Charles Pinkney DeWitt Clinton Rufus King Henry Clay William Henry Harrison Zachary Taylor Wineld Scott Henry Clay PROHIBITION By 1820, the Federalists could no John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams A few remaining Whigs and Know-Nothings longer eld a presidential candidate. Hugh Lawson White ran John Bell on the Constitutional Union In 1876, election results in three southern states were contested. Congressional Democrats agreed to let Hayes have During the 1790s, two parties began to form around dierences of opinion James Monroe won re-election William Wirt ticket in 1860, advocating simply to keep the John Pierce St. John Clinton Bowen Fisk John Bidwell Joshua Levering John Granville Wooley without opposition, and the “Era of In 1824, four men ran for president, all calling themselves Union as it was. the Presidency in exchange for an end to Reconstruction. within Washington’s cabinet. Federalists, behind Secretary of the Treasury Federalists opposed the War of 1812, and ANTI-MASONIC Millard Fillmore Good Feelings” began. Democratic-Republicans. Andrew Jackson won the most William Henry Harrison KNOW-NOTHING AMERICAN Alexander Hamilton, supported a strong central government that could the American victory cost them support. The Prohibition Party organized around a single In 1896, Republicans led by William McKinley argued that Bryan’s liberal votes, but no candidate won a majority of the electoral In the 1880s, Republicans “waved the bloody By the mid-1890s, the Democrats’ northern promote manufacturing and commerce. Supporters of Secretary of State By 1836, opponents of Jackson’s Democrats had issue: the banning of alcoholic beverages. They economic policies would make everyone poor. McKinley also reassured vote. The election went to the House of Representatives, In New York and New England, opposition to shirt,” gaining support by reminding northern coalition of farmers, immigrants, and Thomas Jeerson, who began to call themselves Democratic-Republicans, organized into the Whig Party. They opposed what Divided over the issue of slavery, the Whig party split received a small percentage of the vote in each immigrants, especially Germans, that he welcomed them as Americans. His which chose John Quincy Adams. Jackson organized the Anti-Masonic Party, The “Know-Nothing” Party organized in opposition to immigration, especially voters that they had won the Civil War. businessmen was breaking up. In the believed in small central government and an agricultural society. they saw as Jackson’s autocratic rule, and they in the 1850s. Most Northern Whigs joined the new election until 1920. campaign manager, Mark Hanna, raised millions of dollars and used new which feared the role of Freemasons in of Catholics. At rst they worked in secret, and when asked about their Congressional elections of 1894, Republicans supported social, economic, and moral reforms. In Republican Party, while many Southern Whigs techniques of advertising. The result was a Republican landslide. The new government. In 1832, they held the rst activities, they replied “I know nothing.” In the 1850s, they renamed nearly swept the northern states. 1836, they ran four regional candidates, hoping to became Democrats. The remaining Whigs ran former Republican coalition would dominate national politics for another 36 years. presidential nominating convention in the U.S. themselves the American Party, and in 1856, with the Whig Party breaking up, split the electoral vote and throw the election to the president Millard Fillmore on a joint ticket with the they ran Millard Fillmore for president. House of Representatives, where the Whig majority American Party in 1856. would pick a president. But their strategy failed. 1788 1792 1796 1804 1808 1812 1816 1824 1828 1832 1836 1844 1848 1852 1856 1864 1868 1872 1876 1884 1888 1892 1896 1790 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 FIRST PARTY SYSTEM (1792–1820) SECOND PARTY SYSTEM (1828–1854) THIRD PARTY SYSTEM (1854–1896) The first party system began with divisions in Washington’s cabinet between Secretary Democratic-Republicans gradually came to support a stronger government and The second party system emerged from a split within the Democratic- tion and railroads, draining Whig support. The issue of slavery and its expansion The third party system emerged from divisions over slavery. The two major coalitions of people with diverse interests. of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. Hamilton “internal improvements,” such as roads and canals, that would help commerce. As Republican Party. The two main factions were led by Andrew Jackson, hero of into the western territories territories finally split the Whigs in the early 1850s. parties of the 1850s continued to dominate American politics after the Civil War. At the national level, both parties were largely controlled by business interests in supporters, who had strongly favored adopting the Federal Constitution, continued to belief in broad-based democracy spread, support for Federalists eroded. After the War the War of 1812 and Indian wars, and Henry Clay, Speaker of the House of They are the same parties still in existence today, but their issues, beliefs, and For the first time, most voters identified strongly with one party or another. The the 1880s and 1890s. During economic downturns,