ERA OF DEMOCRATS
1800-1860
-THE ERA OF THE DEMOCRATS BEGAN WITH
THOMAS JEFFERSON'S ELECTION IN 1800. IT
WAS THE BEGGINING OF DEMOCRATIC
DOMINATION LASTING UNTIL THE CIVIL WAR.
MAJOR EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE.
-
DEMOCRATIC
PARTY
-LED BY JACKSON, WERE A
COMBINATION OF SMALL
FARMERS, DEBTORS, FRONTIER
PIONEERS, AND SLAVEHOLDERS.
-THE JACKSONIAN DEMOCRACY
PRODUCED THREE FUNDAMENTAL
CHANGES. 1) VOTING RIGHTS FOR ALL
WHITE MALES. 2) A HUGE INCREASE
IN THE NUMBER OF ELECTED OFFICES
AROUND THE COUNTRY. 3) SPREAD
OF SPOILS SYSTEM, THE PRACTICE OF
AWARDING PUBLIC OFFICES,
CONTRACTS, AND OTHER
GOVERNMENTAL FAVORS TO THOSE
WHO SUPPORTED THE PARTY IN
POWER.
WHIG
PARTY
-
-WAS LED BYTHE WIDELY
POPULAR HENRY CLAY AND
DANIEL WEBSTER.
-CONSISTED OF A LOOSE
COMBINATION OF EASTERN
BANKERS, MECHANTS AND
INDUSTRIALISTS, AND MANY
OWNERS OF LARGE SOUTHERN
PLANTATIONS. THE WHIGS WERE
OPPOSED TO THE BELIEF OF
JACKSONIAN DEMOCRACY AND
STRONGLY SUPPORTED A HIGH
TARRIF.
-ELECTED TWO WAR HEROES TO
THE WHITE HOUSE; WILLIAM
HENRY HARRISON (1840) AND
ZACHARY TAYLOR (1848).
SIGNIFICANT ENDING/
NEW BEGINNING
-WHIGS/DEMOCRATS
-BY THE 1850'S, THE GROWING
CRISIS OVER SLAVERY SPLIT BOTH
MAJOR PARTIES. LEFT LEADERLESS
BY THE DEATHS OF STATESMEN
HENRY CLAY AND WILLIAM
WEBSTER, THE WHIG PARTY FELL
APART.
-MEANWHILE, THE
DEMOCRATIC
PARTY SPLIT INTO
TWO SHARPLY
DIVIDED CAMPS, IN
THE NORTH AND
SOUTH.
-REPUBLICANS-A GROUP THAT AROSE TO
COMPETE FOR SUPPORTERS
AMONG THE FORMER WHIGS
AND DEMOCRATS, THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY WAS THE
MOST SUCCESSFUL.
-FOUNDED IN 1854, IT
ATTRACTED MANY WHIGS AND
ANTISLAVERY.
-REPUBLICANS NOMINATED THEIR FIRST
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, JOHN C. FREMONT,
IN 1856; AND ELECTED ABRAHAM LINCOLN AS
THEIR FIRST PRESIDENT IN 1860.
-REPUBLICAN PARTY BECAME THE ONLY
PARTY IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN
POLITICS TO MAKE THE JUMP FROM
TIRD-PARTY TO MAJOR-PARTY STATUS.
• The election of Abraham Lincoln and the start
of the Civil War signaled the beginning of 75
years of Republican party supremacy
• Rose as an anti-slavery party and supported
by Northern and Western farmers,
businesses, and African Americans.
• Republicans won all but four presidential
elections (Grover Cleveland : elected in 1884
and 1892 and Woodrow Wilson: elected in
1912 and 1916)
• Democrats during this period controlled the
South and rebuilt their support from there
• Election of 1896 was critical in the development of the two party
system.
CANDIDATES
William
Jennings
Bryan (D)
Supported
Free silver
William
McKinley
(R)
Supported
gold
standard
•McKinley won the election and the Republicans regained the presidency.
•This victory helped the republicans draw support from a wider portion of
the electorate-the people eligible to vote.
•Democrats also made an impression during this election
•William Jennings Bryan pushed party politics back toward economics and
away from sectionalism-devotion to the interests of one section of a
country.
• Election of 1912
• Worst Republican setback of the era
• Republicans renominate President William Howard Taft
• Former Republican President Theodore Roosevelt denied
nomination, leaving the Republicans to become the
candidate of his “Bull Moose” Progressive Party
• Republican vote was split between Taft & Roosevelt helping
Democrat Woodrow Wilson win the presidency
• Wilson’s win was just lucky and Republicans take office again
in 1920 (Warren Harding), 1924 (Calvin Coolidge), 1928
(Herbert Hoover)
#3
Reem Saleh
Ayeh Habhab
Mouhamed Chahine
•
•
•
•
Franklin Delano Roosevelt won the
presidential election. The Democrats
were now back in power at the national
level.
His economic and social welfare
programs strengthened his electoral
base, which included southerners,
small farmers, labor and political
organizations, and African Americans.
Won reelection in 1936 and served a
third term in 1940 and another term
during World War II; the only president
to serve four terms.
Died in 1945 from a brain hemorrhage.
•
•
•
Vice President Harry Truman
completed Roosevelt’s term.
Was elected for a term of his own in
1948
Known for:
-Marshall Plan: aimed to aid Europe to
prevent the spread of Communism after WWII
- Truman Doctrine: the United States would
support Greece and Turkey with economic and
military aid to prevent them from falling into
communism
- Attacks on Japan: made the decision to use
the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to
save U.S soldiers during WWII
•
•
•
•
•
In 1952, war hero Dwight
Eisenhower is elected into office as
the 34th president
Established NATO, and was the
first US president to be an ally of
the organization
Welcomed Alaska and Hawaii as
official states
Signed Civil Rights Act
Holds office for only one full term
•
•
•
•
•
John F. Kennedy brought the
Democrats back to power
when he won the election
over Richard M. Nixon.
Is credited for most Civil
Rights reform in public places
Shot and killed by Lee Harvey
Oswald in 1963.
Vice President Lyndon B.
Johnson completed his term
and served a term of his own
in 1964.
Richard Nixon scandalously
took office in 1968
1968-Present
Era Of Divided Government
S
Era Of Divided Government
S Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats hold more
power. The power is consistently changing towards the two
political parties.





Libertarian party believe in
Substantially reduce the size and intrusiveness of
government and cut all taxes.
Let peaceful, honest people offer their goods and
services to willing consumers without a hassle from
government.
Let peaceful, honest people decide for themselves
what to eat, drink, read, or smoke and how to dress,
medicate themselves, or make love, without fear of
criminal penalties.
The U.S. government should defend Americans and
their property in America and let the U.S. taxpayer off
the hook for the defense bill of wealthy countries like
Germany and Japan.
A Single Issue Party is a political party who
campaigns for office on the basis of a single
issue.



The Free Soil Party opposed the spread of
slavery in the 1840s and 1850s.
The American Party, also called the “Know
Nothings,” opposed Irish-Catholic
immigration in the 1850s.
The Right to Life Party opposes abortion
today.

Most of the single-issue parties have faded
into history. They died away as events have
passed them by, as their themes have failed
to attract voters, or as one or both of the
major parties have taken their key issues as
their own.
~ By Sabrina Saad, Mariam Kassem, Ali
Aljanabi
 Parties
rooted in poor economic times,
lacking a clear ideological base,
dissatisfied with current conditions and
demanding better times.
 Formed in economic discontent
 Considered bankers, the railroads, and
foreign imports their enemies.
 Greenback
Party- appealed to struggling
farmers, calling for free coinage of silver,
federal regulation of the railroads, an
income tax, and labor legislation.
 Populist Party- demanded public
ownership of railroads, telephone and
telegraph companies, lower tarrifs, and
adoption of the initiative and referendum.
 Tea
Party- party that strikes against paying
many taxes they feel is “pointless” and
advocates reducing the U.S. national
debt and federal budget deficit by
reducing U.S. government spending and
taxes.
SO, WHAT IS A SPLINTER PARTY?
Those who have split away from
one of the major parties are
known as splinter parties.
Most of the more important
minor parties in politics have
been splinter parties.
HOW DO SPLINTER PARTIES FORM?
Most splinter parties have formed around a strong
personality.
When a popular candidate is not chosen to represent
a certain political party, or doesn’t agree with a
certain aspect of his party, he can start his own
“splinter party”.
Splinter parties are significant because, although
they most likely will not win, they make send a
message from all of the votes they do manage to
rally up.
TEDDY ROOSELVELT’S BULL MOOSE
Among the leading groups that have
defined themselves as splinter
parties are Teddy Roosevelt and his
“Bull Moose” party, who left the
democratic party in 1912.
Although he didn’t win the election,
Teddy Roosevelt made a large dent
in the ballots.