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Federalists Form the First Party
The Federalist Party formed around Alexander Hamilton. They supported the Constitution and wanted a strong national government. After being defeated in the election of 1800, the Federalist party disappeared by 1816. -
Anti-Federalists Oppose the Constitution
The Anti-Federalists, formed by Thomas Jefferson, heavily opposed the Federalists. They were more appealing to the "common man." Anti-Federalists wanted a government with a limited role, where the Congress would dominate. Later, the Anti-Federalist party became known as the Jeffersonian Republicans or the Democratic-Republicans. -
Democratic-Republicans
The Democratic-Republican party was founded by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. It opposed the Federalist party. This party believed that local and state governments deserved authority, and did not want a national bank. In the election of 1800, the Democratic-Republicans won control of both houses of Congress when Thomas Jefferson was elected. This marked a period of Democratic domination that lasted until the Civil War. In 1825, the party broke up due to political factions. -
Jacksonian Democrats
The term Jacksonian Democrats refers to Andrew Jackson's followers after he was elected President in 1828. They wanted common Americans to have more political influence. They were a group of small farmers, debtors, frontier pioneers, and slaveholders. The party wanted voting rights for all white males, an increase in the number of elected offices around the country, and the spread of the spoils system. In the 1850s, the party began to split between the North and the South over slavery. -
The Party of Lincoln (Republicans)
Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican President, and his followers were called The Party of Lincoln. With his election, the Republican party became the first party to jump from third-party to major-party status. The party successfully banned slavery in 1865. Republicans dominated the national political scene for nearly 75 years. -
Roosevelt Democrats
With the election of Franklin Roosevelt in 1932, the Democrats came back into power. A new electoral base was made of southerners, small farmers, organized labor, and big-city political organizations. The Democratic Party became the clear majority party for next 40 years. Economic and social welfare programs further strengthened the party. -
Modern Republicans
With the election of Ronald Raegan in 1980, the Republicans were back in the White House. For three straight terms, a Republican President remained in office. In 1992, Bill Clinton ended this streak. However, Republicans remained in control of Congress, and attempted to remove Clinton from office. In 2000, Republicans were once again in the White House. Today, Republicans hold the majority in the Senate; the President is a Republican as well. -
Modern Democrats
In 1992, Bill Clinton was elected President, bringing Democrats back into the White House. He was unsuccessfully impeached and removed by a Republican-controlled Congress. When a Senator switched parties in 2001, Democrats gained control of the upper house of Congress. In 2008, Democrats took even more seats away from Republicans in both chambers. That year Barack Obama was elected President for his first term. However, in the 2010 midterm elections, the Democrats lost the majority in the House.
