The document outlines the major political parties and eras in United States history from 1776 to the present. It traces the evolution from the Federalists and Anti-Federalists after the American Revolution, to the development of the Democratic-Republican and Democratic parties in the early 1800s. The document then discusses the rise of the Whig and Republican parties in response to the issue of slavery in the 1850s, and the solidification of the Republican and Democratic parties as the dominant forces through the 20th century.