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The First Parties Emerge
This marrks the first time organized political parties clashed in an American election. Having resigned as Secretary of State from George Washington's Cabinet in 1793, Thomas Jefferson started his own political party. It was first called the Anti-Federalist Party, then Jeffersonsian Repubublicans, then Democratic-Republicans. -
Adams v. Jefferson
John Adams and his Federalist Party barely (by 3 electoral votges) defeats Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans, and Adams become the second President of the United States. -
Jefferson Returns
With the help of James Madison (formerly a Federalist), Thomas Jefferson and his Democratic-Republicans return in 1800 and defeat sitting President John Adams. The Federalists never returned to power. -
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Era of Democrats
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The Democrat Party
Andrew Jackson, the "common man" leads farmers, debtors, frontiersmen, and slaveholders to power with his new Democrat Party. -
First Republican President
Abraham Lincoln leads a new coalition of mostly anti-slavery Northerners, industrialists, businessmen, and laborers. This si the only time in history a third party made the jump straight to a major party. -
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Era of Republicans
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Brief Democrat Victory
Grover Cleveland, a Democrat, was the only person elected President by the Democrat Party during the remainder of the 1800s after the Civil War. He is also the only man to have served as President two times, but not in back to back terms. He was reelected in 1892 for his second term. -
McKinley regains Republican Power
This critical election year found two very different ideas battling for power. William McKinley and his Republicans supported the backing of U.S. dollard with gold while William jennings Bryan, a Democrat who was supported by Populists, favored silver. This election realigned the parties, and the Republicans voter base grew dramatically. -
Teddy Roosevelt's Bull Moose Party
Theodore Roosevelt was denied the Republican nomination when the sitting Republican President, William Howard Taft, ran for reelection in 1912 against Democrat Woodrow Wilson. Roosevelt's Bull Moose Party pulled away so many Republican votres that Wilson won the presidency. He went on to barely win reeelction in 1916. -
FDR and the Rise of the Democrat Party
Franklin Roosevelt emerged as the winner beating Republican Herbert Hoover largely due to Hoover's perceived mismanagement of the Great Depression which began in 1929. FDR went on to redefine the appropriate level of government involvement in the lives of citizens. His coalition of Southerners, public workers, and organized political machines elected FDR for a record four terms as President. His social welfare programs also captured Blacks and other minorities as a long-term base for Democrats. -
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Era oF Democrats
Franklin Roosevelt emerged as the winner beating Republican Herbert Hoover largely due to Hoover's perceived mismanagement of the Great Depression which began in 1929. FDR went on to redefine the appropriate level of government involvement in the lives of citizens. His coalition of Southerners, public workers, and organized political machines elected FDR for a record four terms as President. His social welfare programs also captured Blacks and other minorities as a long-term base for Democrats. -
Republican WWII General
Republican Dwight Eisenhower was elected in 1952 and again in 1956. He worked to roll back many of the Socialist policies of FDR. He was widely supported by people from all walks of life and from both political parties. -
Republicans Return
After Presidents Kennedy and Johnson expanded entitlements as well as the size and power of government from 1960-1968 through programs like the Great Society, Johnson decided not to run again in the midst of Vietnam. Nixon won two landslide elections in 1968 and 1972 on the promise of downsizing government and ending the Vietnam War, both promises he kept. -
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Era of DividedGovernment
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Brief Democrat Return
After taking over upon the resignation of Nixon, President Ford narrowly lost the election to dubbed outsider Democrat Jimmy Carter. The energy crisis, economic decline, the Iran Hostage crisis, and wild unpopularity made Carter a one-term presdident. -
Republicans Return
Republican Ronald Reagan handily defeats what most consider the failed presidency of Democrat Jimmy Carter. Reagan comes into office promising unprecedented decreases in government waste, cuts to entitlements, economic growth, and stronger defense against the Soviets at the height of the Cold War. -
Democrats Return
After 12 years of Republican Presidents, Democrat Bill Clinton won the 1992 election thanks partly to third party challenger H. Ross Perot. Perot capitalized upon a mild economic recession, and post Cold War thoughts on national defense to pull votes away from President George H.W. Bush. -
Republicans Return
Republican George W. Bush recaptured the White House for Republicans in 2000 following the narrow defeat of Democrat Al Gore in the Electoral College. Shortly after the economic recession that started at the end of the 1900s, Bush entered office on a platform of fiscal responsibility, bipartisanship, and governmental reform. -
Democrats Return
Promising "Change We Can Believe In," Democrat Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election thus becoming the first bi-racial President. His platform included massiuve expansion of social welfare programs, higher taxes, and an end to America's War on Terrorism. Over two years in, Obama is currently struggling to control record unemployment, historic government financial problems, and general public malaise.
