The document provides a summary of major third parties in US history from the Anti-Mason Party in the 1820s to the Populist Party in the 1890s. It outlines the key issues and goals of each party, including opposition to secret societies, support for agricultural debt relief through inflationary currency policies, restrictions on immigration, and labor reforms. Many of these third parties served as predecessors to the modern Republican party or influenced the platforms of the two major parties.

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