Political Parties

Political Party- a group of citizens with common interests who want to influence government.

What do they do? Political Parties pick candidates who AGREE with their beliefs and try to persuade voters to support them.

Anyone may join a political party by declaring your a member and registering.

History of the U.S. Two-Party System

June 21, 1788: New Hampshire is the ninth state (out of 13) to ratify the U.S. Constitution thus meeting the ratification threshold for enactment.

March 4, 1789: Government under the U.S. Constitution begins.

1792: Thomas Jefferson founded the Democratic Party as a congressional caucus to fight for the Bill of Rights against the “elitist” Federalist Party.

History of the U.S. Two-Party System

1798: The party of the “common man” was officially named the Democratic-Republican Party.

1800: Thomas Jefferson is elected as the first Democratic-Republican President of the United States. He serves two terms.

1808: James Madison, also a Democratic-Republican, is elected President of the United States. Madison strengthened the armed forces and defeated the British in the War of 1812.

History of the U.S. Two-Party System

1816: James Monroe, a Democratic-Republican, was elected as President of the United States. Led Americans through a time commonly known as “the Era of Good Feeling” in which Democratic-Republicans served with little opposition.

1824: Greatly divided 4-way split within the Democratic-Republican Party. John Quincy Adams is elected President of the United States. However, Jefferson and Andrew Jackson work to reunite the party.

1828: Andrew Jackson is elected President of the United States. His supporters, known as the Jacksonian Democrats, go on to create the national convention process and the party platform.

History of the U.S. Two-Party System

1832: The Democratic-Republicans hold their first National Convention and Andrew Jackson is nominated and wins his $2^{nd}$ term as President of the United States.

1844: The National Convention simplifies the party’s name to the Democratic Party.

1848: The National Convention establishes the Democratic National Committee (DNC) – the longest-running political organization in the world. It is tasked with promoting the “democratic” cause between conventions and preparing for the next convention.

History of the U.S. Two-Party System

1850’s: A large group of people – primarily anti-activists and settlers in the Western territories – wanted a voice in national politics. They felt alienated by the Democratic Party at large. They began a political movement based on

“FREE soil, FREE labor, FREE speech, and FREE men” as a slogan.

1856: The Republican Party is created and they nominate John C. Fremont for President. He loses the election.

1860: The Republican candidate for President, Abraham Lincoln, wins the election and he establishes the new Republican party as a strong second party in US politics.