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The Anti Federalist Party
The Anti Federalists, split from the Patriot Party, were a loose political coalition who unsuccessfully opposed the strong central government envisioned in the U.S. Constitution of 1787. Despite their failures, their agitations led to the addition of a Bill of Rights. -
Formation of the Federalists
With leaders like Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and John Adams the Federalists believed in a centralized national government with strong fiscal roots. In addition, the Federalists felt that the Constitution was open for interpretation and were against the Bill of Rights. -
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The Democratic Repubican Party
The Democratic Republicans, founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, championed republicanism, agrarianism, political equality, and expansionism. They emphasized local and humanitarian concerns, states' rights, agrarian interests, and democratic procedures. They later tranformed into the Jacksonian Democrats. -
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The Jacksonian Democrats
Born from the Democratic Republican Party, this new body latched onto the beliefs under President Jackson. This movement championed greater rights for the common man and was opposed to any signs of aristocracy in the nation. -
Emergence of the Modern Democratic Party
The modern Democratic Party emerged in the late 1820s from former factions of the Democratic-Republican Party, which had largely collapsed by 1824. It was built by Martin Van Buren, who assembled a cadre of politicians in every state behind war hero Andrew Jackson. The party is largely focused on liberalism and civil rights. -
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The Party of Lincoln (The National Union Party/Republicans)
The Republican Party emerged to combat the Kansas–Nebraska Act and the expansion of slavery into American territories. The party opposed the expansion of slavery before 1861 and led the fight to destroy the Confederate States of America. The Party later merges into the Republican Party. -
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Roosevelt's Democratic Party
Under the New Deal Coalition, the Democratic Party was composed of Blocs that supported Roosevelt's New Deal and the national ideals that came along with it. -
The Modern Republican Party
Staying largely unchanged, name wise, since the time of its creation under Lincoln, the Modern Republican party has been affiliated with reducing taxes to stimulate the economy, deregulation, and conservative social values.