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Election of 1788-89
The First Election of the Newly established United States under the Constitution took place from Dec 15- Jan 10, therefore spanning two years. The beloved and popular war hero, General George Washington ran essentially unopposed, and was unanimously elected President under no political party. In his two terms, Washington was the only president to have no political party affiliation. In fact, in his farewll address, he warned against the danger of having political parties. -
Federalist Party
This was one of two of the first political parties under the American Constitution. They beleived in Hamilton's policies of a strong federal government as opposed to states' rights. Additionally, they wanted friendly relations with Great Britain, a national bank, and tariffs. One of the biggest opinions they argued was their stance on the interpretation of the constitution. They beleived in implied powers not explicitly stated in the constitution. This party dominated the governmnet until 1801, -
Democratic-Republican Party
The Democratic-Republican party was the second party made slightly after the Federalists. Due to their opposing views of Hamilton's financial programs, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison created this party. The party ended up representing the south more, and stood for states' rights. Eventually, as the Federalists were seen as elitists, the Democratic-Republicans controlled the presidency from 1801 to 1825. -
Election of 1800
Vice President Thomas Jefferson defeated President John Adams. The election was a realigning election that ushered in a generation of Democratic-Republican Party rule and the eventual demise of the Federalist Party in the First Party System. It was a long, bitter re-match of the 1796 election between the pro-French and pro-decentralization Democratic-Republicans under Jefferson and Aaron Burr and the incumbent Adams and Charles Pinckney's pro-British and pro-centralization Federalists. -
Election of 1820
It was the third and last United States presidential election in which a candidate ran effectively unopposed (the previous two unopposed presidential elections were those of 1788–89 and 1792, in which George Washington ran without serious opposition). President James Monroe and Vice President Daniel D. Tompkins were re-elected effortlessly and captured all but one electoral vote. This marked the end to the Federalist Party. -
Election of 1824
The dominating Democraric-Republicans were split four ways in this election, nominating John Q Adams, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, and William Crawford. Non of the nominees received the majority of the electoral college votes, so the House of Representatives decided. Although Jackson received the most electoral votes, John Q. Adams won, leading to the claim of it being a 'corrupt bargain'. After this, Jackson branched off to create the Democratic party, while Adams' supporters created the Whigs. -
Election of 1824
John Quincy Adams was elected President on February 9, 1825. The election was decided by the House of Representatives under the provisions of the Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution after no candidate secured a majority of the electoral vote. It was the first presidential election in which the candidate who received the most electoral votes (Andrew Jackson) did not become President, and he thought the election of Adams was a corrupt bargain. -
National Republican Party
This party was created to oppose Andrew Jackson's views of the Democratic Party in the election of 1928. The short lived party saw nominations, but no presidents. The party represented a mix of people of many different occupations, who beleived in Henry Clay's policies of high Tariffs and a national bank. -
Election of 1828
It featured a re-match between incumbent President John Quincy Adams(National Republican), and Andrew Jackson(Democrat), the winner of the electoral college in the election of 1824. With no other major candidates, Jackson and his chief ally Martin Van Buren consolidated their bases in the South and New York and easily defeated Adams. The election ushered Jacksonian Democracy into prominence, against the National Republicans. -
Democratic Party
As a branch off of the Democratic-Republican party, they ran against the Whigs in the Second party system. They appealed to southern farmers, and supported Manifest Destiny, along with greater equality for white men. The Democratic party dominated the south for most of its exsistence, and still exsists today, but are more northern than southern. -
Whig Party
This was formed as part of the Second Party System, and opposed Andrew Jackson's Democratic party's ideas. They had less of an appeal to farmers, but supported modernization and banking. The party nominated many candidates, and won some elections. However, it fell apart in the 1850's due to opposing views on the expansion of slavery. -
Election of 1836
As the third consecutive election victory for the Democratic Party, it ushered incumbent Vice-President Martin Van Buren into the White House with 170 electoral votes to 124 electoral votes for William Henry Harrison and other Whigs. The popular vote was closer; Martin Van Buren attracted 764,000 votes to the 738,000 won by the various Whig candidates.The election of 1836 is remembered for the Whigs running several candidates in hopes that each would win their respected region. -
Free Soil Party
A short-lived political party in the United States active in the 1848 and 1852 presidential elections, and in some state elections. Founded in Buffalo, New York, it was a third party and a single-issue party that largely appealed to and drew its greatest strength from New York State. The party leadership consisted of anti-slavery former members of the Whig Party and the Democratic Party. -
Republican Party
The Republican party emerged in the mid 1850's, and combated the Democrats. The parties combined whig and free soil parties into one, and dominated the north, while having very little presence in the south. It was pro business, pro bank, and high tariffs originally. The party still exsists today, and has less northern support, and more southern support. -
Election of 1860
The United States had been divided during the 1850s on questions surrounding the expansion of slavery and the rights of slave owners. In the face of a divided opposition, the Republican Party, dominant in the North, secured a majority of the electoral votes, putting Abraham Lincoln in the White House with almost no support from the South. Before Lincoln's inauguration, seven slave-holding Southern states declared their secession from the U.S. and formed the Confederacy, sparked Civil War. -
Election of 1864
Incumbent president, Republican Abraham Lincoln, was running for re-election against Democratic candidate George B. McClellan, who ran as the "peace candidate" without personally believing in his party's platform. Lincoln was re-elected president by a landslide in the Electoral College. Since the election of 1860, the Electoral College had expanded with the admission of Kansas, West Virginia, and Nevada as free-soil states. -
Election of 1868
The incumbent President, Andrew Johnson, who succeeded to the presidency in 1865 following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, was unpopular and failed to receive the Democratic presidential nomination. fter numerous ballots, the Democrats nominated former New York Governor Horatio Seymour to take on the Republican candidate, Civil War general Ulysses S. Grant. Grant ended up winning in a big victory. -
Election of 1876
It was one of the most contentious and controversial presidential elections in American history. The results of the election remain among the most disputed ever, with 20 electoral votes unresolved. An informal deal was struck to resolve the dispute: the Compromise of 1877, which awarded all 20 electoral votes to Hayes. In return for the Democrats' acquiescence in Hayes's election, the Republicans agreed to withdraw federal troops from the South, ending Reconstruction. -
Election of 1880
This election was between James Garield (R) and Winfield S. Hancock (D). The result yeilded a very close popular vote, and both had 19 states carried. However, Garfield won the elctoral vote 214-155. This statred the 'Parade of Mediocrity', or the 2nd worse grouping of presidents in U.S. history -
Election of 1884
The United States presidential election of 1884 was the 25th presidential election which was on November 4, 1884. It was the first election of a Democrat for President of the United States since the election of 1856. New York Governor Grover Cleveland narrowly defeated Republican former United States Senator James G. Blaine of Maine to break the longest losing streak for any major party in American history. -
Election of 1888
This election was between Benjamin Harrison (R), and Grover Cleveland (D). Cleveland, the incumbant, won the popular vote, but lost the vote in the Electoral College, leading to Harrison's victory. -
The People's Party
The People's Party, also known as the Populist Party, was a party heavily based around agriculture. It was a left winged party which was highly critical of capitalism, especially banks and railroads, and allied itself with the labor movement. The party was most powerful in the election of 1892 when James B. Weaver won 5 states.Built on a coalition of poor, white farmers in the South and wheat farmers in the Plains states. The party dissolved in 1908 due to the comination with the Democrats. -
Election of 1892
The United States presidential election of 1892 was the 27th presidential election on Tuesday, November 8, 1892. It was a rematch of the presidential election in 1888. Cleveland(D) beat Benjamin Harrison(R) and James Weaver(P) becoming the only person in American history to be elected to a non consecutive term.The Populist Party was run by The Grange, the Farmers' Alliances, and the Knights of Labor, also had a ticket as James Weaver. They won 5 states in the West -
Election of 1896
This election was between William McKinley (R), and William Jennings Bryan (D). McKinley had a clear victory, winning the popular vote, and the Electoral College vote. In this election, the Populist party joined with the Democrats to run Bryan in order to increase their likelyhood of putting a candidate in office. -
Election of 1900
The United States presidential election of 1900 was the 29th presidential election on November 6, 1900. The election was a rematch of the 1896 race between President William McKinley(R) and William Jennings Bryan(D). The Republican Convention chose New York Governor Theodore Roosevelt as McKinley's Vice President because Vice-President Garret Hobart had died from heart failure. The recent victory in the Spanish–American War for control of the Philippines helped McKinley beat Bryan decisively. -
Election of 1904
This was between Theodore Roosevelt (R), and Alton Parker (D). Roosevelt carried a great deal more states, and won the popular and electoral vote by a landslide. This was Roosevelt's second term, but his first time being elected president, due to McKinley's death. his previous term made him very popular, leading to his definate victory -
Election of 1908
The United States presidential election of 1908 was the 31st presidential election on November 3, 1908. President Theodore Roosevelt promised not run again so William Howard Taft, his close friend and Secretary of War, became the candidate. Having lost the 1904 election badly with a conservative candidate, the Democratic Party turned William Jennings Bryan, who had lost twice before. This time was his worst loss, losing to Taft significantly. -
Progressive Party
The Progressive Party, or Bull Moose Party, gave one presidential candidate, Theodore Roosevelt. It split from the Republican Party, and beleived in the direct election of U.S. senators, woman suffrage, reduction of the tariff, and many social reforms. After the election however, they merged with the Republican Party once more -
Election of 1912
This four way election contained Taft (R), Wilson (D), Roosevelt (Bull Moose Party), and Eugene Debs (Socialist). With Debs lacking the support recieved by the others, the major competition was between Taft, Wilson, and Roosevelt. Republlican votes were split between Roosevelt and Taft, causing Wilson to claim the victory. Although Debs recieved the least amount of votes, he represented the poor, which recieved almost 1,000,000 popular votes. -
Election of 1920
This election was mainly between Warren G. Harding (R), and James Cox (D). This was important because of the solgan that Harding ran, and won under. His slogan stated, "Return to Normalcy", meaning older American ways. This means that he ended the line of Progressive presidents, and focused his ideas on ones more similar to those of the Gilded Age. -
Election of 1928
This was between Herbert Hoover (R), and Al Smith (D). The election proved to be a major landslide in favor of Hoover. Although both were regaurded as good candidate, Smith's catholic religion caused many negative prejuduces to influence voting. Additionally, this was the last election before the Great Depression, which many beleive Hoover did a bad job of helping. -
Election of 1932
The Great Depression was in full swing at this time, and the incumbent, Hoover (R), was accused of making it worse. Many accused him of not doing enough to stimulate the economy. For that reason, his competator, Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) won by a landslide. F.D.R did not have a plan, but wanted to take great, and immidiate action, which made him the favorite. -
Election of 1944
Incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Democratic nominee, sought his fourth term in office and he defeated Republican Thomas E. Dewey in the general election. The election was set against the backdrop of World War II, which was going well for the United States and its Allies. Roosevelt had already served longer than any other president, but remained popular. Unlike in 1940, there was little doubt that he would run for another term as the Democratic candidate. -
Truman takes Office
As Roosevelt's vice president for his fourth term, Harry Truman (D) took office after F.D.R's untimely death. His presidency coincided with the final months of WWII, causing him to make many difficult decisions. He was later elected to a second term in 1948. -
Election of 1960
This close election was between Richard Nixon (R), and John F. Kennedy (D). This was the first ever election to include televised debates, paving the way for future elections. Thes debates were watched by many, and helped the lesser known candidate (Kennedy), to win by a narrow margin. -
Election of 1964
The incumbant who took over after the assisination of Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson (D), ran against Barry Goldwater (R). Although Johnson won easily, this was important, because Goldwater broke the "solid south". He created a "New Right", or more consevatie Republican party that beleived in pro states rights, less New Deal Programs, and not as big of a civil rights supporter as Johnson. This paved the way for the modern Republican south. -
Election of 1968
This was between three main candidates; Richard Nixon (R), Humbert Humphrey (D), and George Wallace (independant). This marked a resurgence of the Republican party with the their votes being split between Nixon, and some to Wallace, who secured the deep south. Nixon ran on a 'silent majority' slogan, in which he represented restoring order to the recently chaotic happenings in America. -
Election of 1972
The election between incubant Richard Nixon (R), and George McGovern (D) ended in a landslide towards Nixon. With McGovern being very liberal, his beleifs included pardening men who fled the Vietnam draft, legalizing Marijuana, and pulling out of Vietnam immidiatly. This strong beleifs led Nixon to win 49 states in the electoral college. This election also included the Comittee to Re-elect the President (CREEP), to break into the Watergate hotel, and ultimatly cause Nixon's downfall.
