I’d like to begin this series with a quote by George Washington during his farewell address where he warned Americans about the dangers associated with political parties:
“The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism.” Per Constitutionfacts.com, ‘he claimed the partisanship would lead to inter-political conflict, divide the nation and give rise to cases of tyranny.’
Wise words from an old ghost.
The United States was formed (commonly accepted date) on July 4th, 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was written. General George Washington who had led the war against the British became our first president. It wasn’t until the 1790’s that parties began to form. The first being the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party.
The Federalists believed in ratifying the Constitution and appealed to businesses, those who favored banks, military strength, industrialization, and national over state government. Their stronghold was the New England area or Northeast.
The Democratic-Republican Party favored political equality, states’ rights, and expansionism while strongly opposing a national banking system and federally funded infrastructure projects. With Jefferson as president, they reduced the national debt and government spending.
The Federalist party collapsed after 1815 and without opposition to the Democratic-Republican Party, the party split. This formed the Democratic Party and the National Republican Party/Whig Party in 1824.
The Whig Party was active in the middle 19th century, they believed in federally funded infrastructure, a national bank, modernization; opposed expansionism, and preferred congressional dominance over presidential dominance in lawmaking. Followers lived both north and south. Most Northerners eventually joined the Republican Party and most Southern followers joined the Democratic party.
The Democratic Party was formed around 1828, making it the oldest and longest living of the party system. Initially, they supported the limited government, state sovereignty, opposed a national bank. In the 1860s slavery had become a front-page issue on the political scene and the party line moved a great deal for many years going forward.
As civil rights are a large (albeit not all-encompassing) reason for the direction these parties took over the years, that’s where I will be placing most of my focus in this article.
It was in fact the Republican Party/Congress that passed the 14th amendment to abolish slavery and the 15th, giving them the right to vote. During that time Johnson was the Democratic President opposing these amendments. (1866)
Roosevelt who became the first (notable) Republican to bring Democratic issues to the table, was a key player in the party’s split and transition with his New Deal coalition in the ‘30s. His policies included providing federal assistance to farmers, the unemployed, the youth, and the elderly. He pushed more regulations on banks which reformed Wall Street and formed social security. This is also the time that the dollar moved to have no guaranteed price in gold. He repealed Prohibition and began public work projects funded by the federal government. Labor unions grew to new levels of popularity and a minimum wage was set. All of these actions (and many more) showed a rise in the economy with the impending war pulling it completely out of the depression.
1877 to 1885 pro abolitionist Republican Presidents. The majority of 1887 to 1913 which the Presidency was filled by both Democratic and Republican Presidents – civil rights was taken on a more laisse fair sentiment. Of course, in 1920, we had Democrat Wilson who regressed civil rights by implementing the Jim Crow laws. Three Republican presidents, Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover did not take a firm stance one way or the other when it came to civil rights. It wasn’t until Truman in the 50’s that more social reforms were taken seriously. Truman was in fact a Democrat. Republican Eisenhower and Democrat Kennedy continued to push these issues.
In the beginning, Republicans were predominately located in the Northern states. They opposed slavery, favored more progressive legislature and more liberal social freedoms. While the Democrats did not oppose slavery and generally lived in the South.
In the end, the shift left the Southern states becoming more reliably Republican and the Northern states joining the Democratic party. In essence, they flipped. This is most noticeable during the years of the Civil Rights Act of 1965 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Just in reviewing these facts, one wonders just what DO these Republican and Democratic parties truly stand for? And will they still support the same causes in another fifty years?
I’m sure most can find principles and ethics they can agree on policy with these guys (Presidents), but does any ONE really speak to you? If so, are you surprised to find out what side of the aisle they were on?
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