1. Political Parties in
U.S. History
A.P.U.S. History
Ms. Robbins

2. 1792 Federalists Democratic-Republicans
1820 Republicans
One-Party/Era of Good Feelings
Natl Republicans Democratic-Repubs
1825
(Jacksonian Democrats)
1834 Whigs Democrats
1854 Republicans Democrats

3. Anti-Mason Party, 1826-1831
 Began in 1826 as a movement against the secret
Masonic Lodge society; mostly in NY, New
England and mid-Atlantic
 Early anti-Jackson group (Jackson was a Mason)
 First third party in US politics
 Many ex-anti-Masons became Whigs and later
Republicans; attracted evangelical groups
 Held first national nominating convention for US
president in 1831

4. Whig Party, 1834-1856
 Began as an anti-Jackson coalition in 1834
 Clay and Calhoun joined forces
 Very diverse group, had little in common besides
hatred of Jackson
 Northern industrialists and merchants (biggest group)
 Southern states’ righters
 Evangelical Protestants from Anti-Masons
 Won presidencies with Harrison & Taylor
 Whigs disappeared with rising sectionalism

5. Free Soil Party, 1848-1852
 Abolitionists seeking to keep free the “soil” of the new
territories as they entered the Union
 Their platform was:
 Against slavery in the territories & for Wilmot Proviso
 For internal improvements & free homesteads
 Free-Soilers were a diverse group:
 Abolitionists
 Anti-Polk folk
 Settlers who did not want to compete with (or be around)
African-American slaves
 Replaced by new Republican party

6. Know-Nothing Party, 1850’s
 Anti-immigrant (especially anti-Catholic),
nationalist nativists
 Came out of secret societies organized to oppose
 Immigrants (Irish & German)
 Political machine that supported them for votes
 For rigid immigration & naturalization restrictions
 Named for how they were to answer if questioned
 Later organized as American Party
 Disappeared after 1856 election

7. Greenback Party, 1875-1880
 Began to represent debtors seeking an increased
money supply
 Joined by labor groups in 1878 to form the
Greenback-Labor Party
 The new party demanded
 Increased use of greenbacks (paper currency)
 Coining of silver in the same quantities as gold
 Supported by farmers and labor

8. Populist Party, 1891-1896
 Organized from Farmers’ groups such as The
Alliance (which had replaced the Grange)
 Their platform tried to protect farmers through:
 Currency inflation in the form of paper or silver
 Government ownership of railroads, telegram, etc.
 Graduated income tax
 Secret ballot (like Australia) & direct election of senators
 Initiative and referendum options for ballots
 Shorter hours for labor (to get workers to join farmers)
 Merged with Democrats who took over silver issue