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19th century, the federalist/anti-federalist schism dominated political discourse in the United States. The so-called "first party system" became less relevant as increasing numbers of citizens became politically active, leading to a greater plurality of voices and opinions. Even then, political parties had not yet become fully formed. Most elections had candidates running independently. However, the anti-federalists had become the Democratic-Republicans and they emerged as a dominant presence in the controversial 1824 presidential election. When he was defeated in that election by John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson and his supporters started the Democratic Party as an opposition group. In response, John Quincy Adams and his Secretary of State Henry Clay rebranded the Democratic-Republican Party the National Republicans.Jackson's Democratic party grew in popularity during his presidency. An opposition party, the Whig party, emerged in response in the 1830s. For the next several decades, the Democrats and the Whigs were the primary political parties in the United States, a two-party system in the "second party system" era of American politics.
In many ways, the second party system's factions closely resembled those of the first party system's. The first party system had the Federalists pitted against the anti-Federalists. Now, the Whigs were akin to the Federalists in that they...
On the contrary, Jackson's Democrats resembled Jefferson's anti-federalists, or Old Republicans who valued states' rights over a strong federal government.
One of Jackson's pet projects was the dissolution of the national bank, the Second Bank of the United States. He viewed the federal banking system as being inherently corrupt, was suspicious of paper money, which had yet to be widely circulated, and appealed to the substantial rural cohort who also mistrusted bankers in general and especially a federal banking system. Jackson's antagonism toward the federal government and its institutions earned him the support of farmers and other rural Americans who perceived the federal government as a corrupt tool in the hands of the wealthy.
The Whigs under Clay focused on the banking issue as an integral part of their party platform. Initially, the Whigs were formed as an opposition party rather than having a fully developed platform of its own other than being supportive of federal institutions. Jackson's approach to the federal banking system became the primary issue in the middle of the 1830s. The Whigs remained an opposition party directed against Jackson, whose extensive gutting of…
Jacksonian Democracy What it meant for white men, as well as for women, blacks, and Indians Jacksonian Democracy became prevalent during the 1830's and helped to shape the theory of majority rule in America. According to the essay, entitled "The Origins of Jacksonian Democracy" the main staples of Jacksonian democracy involved the concept of public interest and property ownership as the foundation of citizenship. Under the Jacksonian Democracy, only property owners had
WHIGS vs. DEMOCRATS Slavery, Freedom, crisis Union 1840-1877 Democracy America: The Whigs Democrats Many Americans half nineteenth century a powerful federal government a threat individual liberty supported sovereignty state local government. Slavery, freedom, and the crisis of the Union 1840-1877: Considering economic policies and the balance of power between national and local government, how did Whigs and Democrats differ in their definitions of American freedom and its relationship to government authority? Use
So far, I have tried to made a short historical review of the first years of the existence of the Republican party, identifying a few ideological main trends that defined the activity and the platform of the party. Namely, I have talked about the anti-slavery position (proved, among others, by the importance given to the Northern branches), somehow moderate in order to keep the votes of the nativist Americans, who
The Constitution is based on several key principals the most notable would include: separation of powers as well as checks and balances. Separation of powers is when there are clearly defined powers that are given to the various branches of: the government, the federal government and the states. Checks and balances is when one branch of the government will have the power to the check the authority of another
Second Reconstructions One of the most dramatic consequences of the Civil War and Reconstruction was that the South was effectively driven from national power for roughly six decades. Southerners no longer claimed the presidency, wielded much power on the Supreme Court, or made their influence strongly felt in Congress But beginning in the 1930s, the South was able to flex more and more political muscle, and by the 1970s some
The slaveholder was the "father" who needed to take care of his slaves spiritual and material needs, and to protect him or her. Early in the nineteenth century, slaveholders began to view their slaves as property that needed protecting. Conditions improved slightly and slaves were given better food, clothing and housing. This was not done out of kindness, but because of a need to protect their property. Eventually laws were