Political Parties of American History

Federalists 1790s-1820s

• Alexander Hamilton, John Adams

• Strong Central Government

• Favored Commerce and Manufacturing

Democratic-Republicans 1790s-1820s

• Thomas Jefferson, James Madison

• States’ rights, agrarian agricultural economy

Democrats 1828 - present

• Andrew Jackson

• Expanded suffrage for men

• Small government

• pro-slavery in south

  __ up to 20th century

Whigs 1830s-1850s

• Henry Clay, Daniel Webster

• Congressional supremacy over presidency, infrastructure improvements, Anti Jackson

• Dissolved over slavery issues

Free Soil Party (late 1840s-early 1850s)

• Opposed expansion of slavery into new territories

Republican Party 1854-present

• Abraham Lincoln

• Founded as an anti-slavery party

• Against spread of slavery, pro-business, later is conservative

Populist Party 1890s

• Also called the People’s Party

• Represented farms, called for silver coinage

• Direct election of Senators

Progressive Party (early 1900s)

• Theodore Roosevelt (Bull Moose Party in 1912)

• Reform government, workers rights, anti-trust

New Deal Coalition Democrats (1930s-1960s)

• FDR United southern whites, urban workers, African americans

• Supported New Deal Programs (economic reform)

Conservative Coalition mid-20th century

Alliance between conservative Democrats and Republicans, often opposed New Deal/Fair Deal reforms