Synopsis of American Political Parties FEDERALISTS DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICANS Favored strong central gov't emphasized states' rights Social order & stability important Stressed civil liberties & public trust "True patriots vs. the subversive rabble" "Rule of all people vs. the favored few" "Loose" constructionists "Strict" constructionists Promoted business & manufacturing Encouraged agrarian society Favored close ties with Britain Admired the French Strongest in Northeast Supported in South & West Gazette of the United States (John Fenno) National Gazette (Philip Freneau) Directed by Hamilton (+ Washington) Founded by Jefferson (+ Madison) First Two-Party System: 1780s-1801 During most of George Washington's presidency, no real two-party political system existed. The Constitution made no provision whatever for political parties. While its framers recognized that reasonable disagreement and organized debate were healthy components in a democratic society, creation of permanent factions was an extreme to be avoided. (The consensus among the founding fathers was that political parties were potentially dangerous because they divided society, became dominated by narrow special interests, and placed mere party loyalty above concern for the common welfare.) Hence, to identify Washington with the Federalist Party is an ex post facto distinction. Accordingly, Washington's first "election" is more accurately described as a "placement"; his second election was procedural only. The first presidential challenge whereby the citizenry genuinely expressed choice between candidates affiliated with two separate parties occurred in 1896, when John Adams won the honor of following in Washington's footsteps. The cartoon above shows the infamous brawl in House of Representatives between Democratic-Republican Matthew Lyon of Vermont and Federalist Roger Griswold from Connecticut. Lyon responded to a verbal insult from Griswold by spitting in Griswold's eye. Still seething two weeks later, Griswold used his cane to pummel Lyon, whereupon Lyon retaliated with some fire tongs. Before long, the two were grappling on the floor. All this occurs to the apparent delight of their legislative colleagues, who appear to enjoy the impromptu brouhaha. Another congressman lamented that the incident had reduced Congress to "an assembly of gladiators." Soon afterward, poor Lyon became the first person convicted by the Federalists of violating the Sedition Act of 1798. His crime? The lawmaker accused President John Adams of having "a continual grasp for power—an unbounded thirst for ridiculous pomp, foolish adulation, and selfish avarice." Election of 1824: The "Corrupt Bargain" JOHN QUINCY ADAMS HENRY CLAY Sec. of State under Monroe Speaker of the House Chief support was in New England Primary support was in the West House vote: Adams 13, Jackson 7, Crawford 4 Exercised strong leverage for Adams Presidency marred otherwise superb career Rec'd Sec. of State appointment WILLIAM CRAWFORD ANDREW JACKSON Sec. of Treasury under Monroe War hero (re: Battle of New Orleans) Major support was in the South Broad nat'l support Backed by living "Virginia Dynasty" Tops in popular & electoral votes Stroke severely hampered campaign Charged Adams & Clay w/ "corrupt bargain" The Democratic-Republicans faced no serious opposition in the presidential election of 1824, but the party could not unite under a single candidate. The result was a general election deadlock which forced the decision into the House of Representatives, where John Quincy Adams was elected on the first ballot over Andrew Jackson, who had garnered the most popular votes (presumably, electoral votes as well) in the general election. There was some apparent deal-making prior to the House vote. Henry Clay, finishing fourth in the popular election and therefore eliminated from further consideration, urged his House supporters to back Adams. When Adams became President, he appointed Clay as Secretary of State, considered then, every bit as much as the position of Vice-President, to be the stepping-stone to the White House. Hence, Jackson and his supporters bitterly protested the affair as a "corrupt bargain." While there may be some small degree of validity to a political deal (that it was somehow corrupt is baseless), often ignored is the fact that in 1824 the popular vote was not an altogether accurate indicator of the people's will because very few states had all four candidates on the November ballot (several states had only two). Additionally, six states chose electors through their state legislatures rather than general election. Unfortunately for Adams, he was out of his realm as President. Historically, his mediocre presidential term overshadows an otherwise stellar political career of service to the United States, especially in foreign affairs. As for Clay, he never did make it to the White House. Jeffersonian Democracy vs. Jacksonian Democracy JEFFERSONIANS JACKSONIANS Outlined modern Democratic Party Completed modern Democratic Party Founded the party Gave the party true organization & Gov't by the people eventually direction Formal education req'd to vote Gov't by the people immediately responsibly Good voting req'd common sense only Main interest was farmers Also city workers & small businessmen Somewhat open-minded & non-partisan Less tolerant, esp. of political enemies Deferred to gov't processes for "right" Spokesman for the "common man" action Jackson (#7), Van Buren (#8), Polk (#11) Jefferson, Madison, Monroe (all 2 terms) The Democratic-Republican Party arose in response to what many Americans viewed as a Federalist Party becoming increasingly neglectful of public interest. While members of the new party called themselves "Republicans," they are not related to the modern Republican Party but instead are considered by many historians the rudiment of today's Democratic Party. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison provided strong early leadership for the Democratic-Republicans. In the so-called "Revolution of 1800," the electorate ousted the distant, monarchical-acting Federalists in favor of comfortable, old-fashioned democratic principles championed by the Democratic-Republicans. When Andrew Jackson was elected to the White House in 1828, he thrust America into a democratic experience even more grass-roots than that of the Jeffersonians before him. Some historians are reluctant to trace the modern Democratic Party all the way back to Thomas Jefferson, preferring instead to credit Jackson as the present-day party's ancestral standard-bearer. Perhaps a suitable historical image of the Democratic Party would be a circle outlined by Jefferson, plenished by Jackson. Ironically, Jefferson did not care for Jackson's brash form of democracy, once calling Jackson a politically "dangerous man"; the puritanical John Quincy Adams (Jackson's predecessor and major opponent in the presidential elections of 1824 and 1828) referred to him as a "barbarian." Second Two-Party System: 1836-1850s DEMOCRATS WHIGS Party of tradition Party of modernization Looked backward (focused on the past) Looked forward (focused on the future) Addressed Americans' fears Appealed to Americans' hopes Opposed banks & corporations Favored banks & transportation Opposed gov't-funded reform Advocated wide social reform Jeffersonian agrarians; favored slavery Business-minded entrepreneurs Rapid territorial expansion by any process Gradual territorial expansion w/o war Progress thru external growth Progress thru internal growth Supported in South & West Supported in North Jackson & Polk Calhoun, Clay, Webster The several diverse factions which fused to create the Whig Party actually had little ideology in common, though the coalition possessed great resources of wealth and talent. Political giants John C. Calhoun, Henry Clay, and Daniel Webster all identified with the Whig Party at some point in their distinguished tenures. Additionally, John Quincy Adams switched to the Whigs after his presidency; Abraham Lincoln began his political career as a Whig. The chief immediate obstacle ahead for the Whigs was to somehow overcome the public perception that since the party staunchly opposed Jackson, it therefore stood in conflict with the major trend of the age—glorification of the common man. The Whigs managed to overcome this ideological bump in the road by portraying themselves as the party of economic prosperity, moral respectability, and social-welfare measures. Beginning with William Henry Harrison in 1840, four of five Presidents represented the Whig Party (James K. Polk, an ardent Jacksonian, interrupted the string of White House Whigs) before the party dissolved in the 1850s. The Whig Party arose in challenge to "King Andrew" Jackson. Ironically, it was Jackson himself who opened the door for the new party to form because his presidency was so domineering that it effectively eradicated America's true two-party system. An attempt on Jackson's life in 1835 was incorrectly blamed on the Whigs. Political Upheaval of the Mid-1800s LIBERTY PARTY WHIG PARTY Abolitionist Four of five Presidents between 1841 & 1853 Birney in 1840 & 1844 Northern "Conscience" Whigs Southern "Cotton" Whigs FREE SOIL PARTY Gradually drifted toward other parties Not abolitionist, but opposed slavery expansion AMERICAN PARTY Van Buren in 1848 & Hale in 1852 Popularly referred to as "Know Nothing" Party Opposed immigration; supported temperance Fillmore in 1856 won 8 electoral votes Absorbed