U.S. Presidential Elections (1820–1856) and 19th-Century Political Parties

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering U.S. presidential elections from 1820 to 1856 and the major political parties of the era.

Election of 1820

Presidential election in which James Monroe won reelection almost unanimously during the Era of Good Feelings, reflecting temporary Democratic-Republican dominance amid slavery debates addressed by the Missouri Compromise.

Corrupt Bargain

The accusation made by Andrew Jackson's supporters that Henry Clay supported John Quincy Adams in the 1824 House vote in exchange for being appointed Adams's Secretary of State.

Election of 1824

Contested presidential election decided in the House of Representatives among John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, and William Crawford after no candidate won an electoral majority, leading to Adams's presidency.

Election of 1828

Presidential election won by Andrew Jackson over John Quincy Adams, marking the rise of Jacksonian democracy and the Democratic Party as property requirements for voting were removed for white men.

Election of 1832

Presidential race focused heavily on the Second Bank of the United States, in which Andrew Jackson defeated Henry Clay (National Republican) and William Wirt (Anti-Masonic Party).

Election of 1836

Presidential contest won by Democrat Martin Van Buren against several Whig candidates, including William Henry Harrison, Hugh Lawson White, and Daniel Webster.

Election of 1840

Presidential election in which Whig William Henry Harrison defeated Martin Van Buren amid economic fallout from the Panic of 1837, giving the Whigs their first presidency.

Election of 1844

Election centered on Manifest Destiny and the annexation of Texas, won by Democrat James K. Polk over Whig candidate Henry Clay.

Election of 1848

Presidential contest won by Whig Zachary Taylor over Democrat Lewis Cass and Free Soil candidate Martin Van Buren, dominated by debates over slavery in Mexican-American War territories.

Election of 1852

Presidential election won by Democrat Franklin Pierce over Whig Winfield Scott, focused on the Compromise of 1850 and Fugitive Slave Act, which triggered the collapse of the Whig Party.

Election of 1856

Presidential election won by Democrat James Buchanan over Republican John C. Frémont and American/Know-Nothing candidate Millard Fillmore, shaped by Bleeding Kansas and the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

American Party (Know-Nothing Party)

A political party established nationally in 1854 that represented nativism, opposing immigration (especially Catholic immigrants) and advocating for longer citizenship requirements.

Democratic Party (19th Century)

Party founded in 1828 by Andrew Jackson's supporters that championed Jacksonian democracy, states' rights, limited federal government, westward expansion, and opposition to the Second Bank of the United States.

Liberty Party

A political party founded in 1840 by James G. Birney and other abolitionists that sought to completely abolish slavery through political elections.

Free Soil Party

An antislavery party formed in 1848 led by Martin Van Buren and Charles Francis Adams that sought to stop the expansion of slavery into western territories using the slogan 'Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Labor, and Free Men.'

Republican Party (1854)

A political party established in 1854 in opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act that opposed the expansion of slavery into western territories and supported free labor and economic opportunities.

Whig Party

A political party formed around 1833–1834 in opposition to Andrew Jackson that supported a stronger federal economic role, including the national bank, protective tariffs, and internal improvements.

Liberty Party vs. Free Soil Party Distinction

The key difference where the Liberty Party aimed to abolish slavery entirely, while the Free Soil Party focused specifically on preventing the expansion of slavery into western territories.