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Period: to
Timespan of American Politics
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The Founding of the Federalist Party
The Federalist Party was founded by Alexander Hamilton and was representative of trade, the Constitution, and business. -
The Democratic-Republican Party
Founded by Thomas Jefferson this party favored a weak central government, strong state governments, and the Articles of Confederation. This party was the evolution of the Anti-Federalists after the Constitution was ratified. -
The End of the Federalists
Due to the unpopularity of the Federalist President John Adams, the Federalist Party was dissolved for lack of support. -
The National Republican and Whig Parties
The National Republicans were the next generation of Federalists and later became the Whigs. -
The End of the Democratic-Republicans
Though the party was popular from 1801-1824 it broke up due to infighting caused by the election of 1824. -
More than two political parties are created
In the early ninteenth century, around 1840, multiple third parties began appearing past the main parties of the Whigs and the Democrats. These parties were the Liberty Party, which was abolitionist and drew votes from the Whigs, mainly in New York, the Free Soil Party, which was not abolitionist nut opposed the expansion of slavery, the American party, which was a nativist party, and all of these parties were later absorbed into the Republican as they all drew support from the North and far Wes -
The Birth of the Republican Party
The Republican party was born in 1854 as a more liberal party to replace the failed Whig, Liberty, American, and Free Soil parties as the new rival of the Democratic Party. It began with a coalition of former Independent Democrats, Whigs, and Free Soilers united against the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The party originally opposed the extension of slavery, but not abolition. They drew most of their support from the North and Western states. -
John C. Fremont is the first Republican Presidential candidate
John C. Fremont was the first Republican Presidential candidate and drew most of his support, just like most of the early Republican party, from the North, but he lost the election. -
The Election of 1860
Lincoln (R) runs against John Breckenridge (D). Sources of support for the Democrats were mainly in the South and were pro-slavery. Lincoln ran on an anti-slavery platform, which drew support from the North and far Western states where slavery had never been legal. -
National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry Created
This group started as a movement led by Oliver H. Kelley, a Minnesota farmer, to improve the lives of farmers through activities meant to benefit the farmers socially and educationally. It eventually evolved into a political party, and it enjoyed some success in state legislatures by getting state governments to regulate the storage fees and railway rates of railroad companies. -
Stalwarts and Half-Breeds
Stalwarts and Half-Breeds were factions of the Republican Party which were opposed to each other. The Stalwarts were the more traditional Republicans and did not like the idea of reform, and the Half-Breeds were moderates who worked for civil service reform. -
The Liberal Republican Party
The Liberal Republicans were an offshoot of the Republican Party that demanded an end to military reconstruction and a "cleansing" of Washingtons administration. They came to an end almost immediately when they nominated Horace Greeley for their Presidential candidate. -
The End of the Liberal Republican Party
When Greeley lost the Presidential election and later killed himself, the party ended along with him. -
Creation of Greenback Labor Party
This party was created after the Civil War in response to the support the lower class had for paper money, which would cause inflation. The introduction of more greebacks into circulation aws the main platform of the party, as the poor wished for inflation so they could pay their debts more easily. The party enjoyed its peak in 1878 when it elected fourteen members of Congress, and in 1880 it nominated James B. Weaver for president. -
End of Greenback Labor Party
The party dissolved in this year as it had lost most of its support from the lower classes to unions. -
The Mugwumps
Mugwumps were ex-Republican Party members who defected to the Democratic Party in favor of Grover Clevland over James G. Blaine. While not a new political party, they gave more power to the Democratic Party. -
End of Grange/Wabash v Illinois
In this court case the federal government ruled that state governments have minimal power to regulate interstate commerce, as that privelage stayed with the federal government. The Interstate Commerce Commission was created for this purpose. Since the main influence of the Grange movement was to acheive governmental regulation of business, and this had been essentially achieved, the political power of the Grange movement was diminished, although they continued to exist as an organization. -
Creation of the Populist Party
The Populist Party, or the people's party, represented the American farmer, as its platform supported silver coinage, graduated income taxes, and government ownership of companies which would regulate business and help the struggling lower classes. They also supported direct election of senators, a one term presidency, and the ability of citizens to propose and evaluate legislature. The Populists, when James B. Weaver ran for them in 1892, managed to accumalate 22 electoral votes. -
Republicans Support High Tarriff Gold
During the late 1800's, particularly after Grover Cleavland proposed lowering the tarriff before the presidential election of 1888, Republicans gained support from big business owners and manufacturers who would support the tarriff. Republicans also supported sound money backed by gold. -
Democrats Support Low Tarriff Silver
Democrats, after Cleavland proposed a lower tarriff to Congress before the presidential election of 1888, began to receive support from those who were against high protective tarriffs, such as farmers. They also received support from those in debt, mainly agrarians, when they began to champion the unlimited coinage of silver to promote inflation and cheaper debts. -
America moves towards Imperialism
America begins to follow the European trend of imperialsim with the acquisition of Hawaii. White planters overthrow the Queen, Liliuokalani, and the American Army is sent in to quash the native uprising agaisnt the white planters. The islands are officially annexed in 1893 by McKinley. -
Weakening of the Populist Party/Demo Pops
In the presidential election of 1896, many Populists decided to support Democratic candidate William Jennings Bryan, as he supported the coinage of silver while Republican William McKinley advocated gold. Some die-hard Populists refused to merge with the Democrats, but almost all of the political influence of the Populists was lost through merging with the Democrats, who lost because they failed to appeal to the factory workers who did not want to be payed in inflated silver based money. -
American Imperialism in Cuba
McKinley sends a war message to Congress. The reason being that he wanted to send troops to Cuba in order to separate them from Spanish powers. This was an Imperialistic moveby McKinley in that it was American involvment in a "lesser" country. -
American Acquisition of the Phillippines
After the Spanish-American War the United States acquires the Phillipines through the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1898. Anti-Imperialists are horrified by the acquisition while America continues to move towards Imperialism. -
McKinley Re-elected with Roosevelt as VP
McKinley is re-elected with Progressive Theodore Roosevelt as Vice-President. -
Progressives Support Republicans and Roosevelt
As Roosevelt, the Republican president, carried out his Square Deal by protecting the consumers, regulating the trusts, and conserving the environment, progressive Americans put their support behind him. -
American Opposition to "Big Stick Policy"
T.R.'s Big Stick Policy faces the opposition of pro-Isolationism Americans while it always gains the support of Pro-Imperialists. -
McKinley is assassinated. Roosevelt becomes President.
Progressive Theodore Roosevelt becomes President when McKinley is assassinated and puts the Progressives in power. He expands American foreign influence with his "Big Stick" policy. -
Taft Elected and Roosevelt leaves office
William Howard Taft takes office and is expected by Roosevelt to continue the progressive action of his presidency. Taft's presidency becomes increasingly anti-progressive reform as it endures. -
National Progressive Republican League Formed
This group of Republicans who favored the more progressive Roosevelt policies to those of Taft were looking to nominate a progressivist politician for president upon its creation. At first, it looked to nominate Senator La Follette of Wisconsin, but after Rooselvelt himself wanted to run for a third term, they looked to nominate Roosevelt. When it became clear that Roosevelt would not win the Republican nomination, this group joined in a new political third party, the Bull Moose party. -
The Progressive/Bull Moose Party Forms Splits Republican Vote in Election of 1912
This third party, now supported by progressivists who once backed the Republicans, nominated Theodore Roosevelt for President, and received the nickname Bull Moose party after Roosevelt said he felt like one. The party offered Roosevelts platform of New Nationalism, including regulation of trusts, programs of social welfare, and women suffrage. This third party took a lot of voters away from the Republicans, and helped the Democrats win the election. -
Moderate Progressives Support Wilson and Democrats
Moderate progressives began to support Wilson and his New Freedom agenda of creating stronger antitrust legislation, banking reform, and tariff reductions. They felt that Roosevelt's ideas went to far, and did not agree with his ideas of more "socialistic" social welfare legislation. Wilson would win the election from this support and the Progressive Parties splitting the Republican vote. -
Taft leaves office and Wilson is elected.
Taft leaves office and Woodrow Wilson is elected to office. Unlike Taft, Wilson becomes increasingly progressive as he stays in office. His taking office marks the return of progressive reform. -
End of Progressive/Bull Moose Party
After electing few representatives to the state and federal legislatures and the refusal of Theodore Roosevelt to run in the election of 1916, the party dissolved, although they had had one of the most succesful presidential elections of any third party just four years earlier. -
Democrats Supported by Peace Advocates
Wilson won the election with the slogan "He Kept Us Out Of War," while Charles Evans Hughes essentially destroyed his own caimpaign by not taking a stance on the war, and supposedly changing his beliefs depending on the public opinion of where he was. -
Nativists Support Republicans
Nativist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, who hated groups not part of the typical Anglo-Saxxon American culture, supported the Republicans who supported anti-immigration laws. -
Red Scare of 1917 augments the support of Conservatives
In 1917, after the Bolshevik revolution which led to the creation of a small Communist Party in America, Americans began to grow more and more paranoid of the communist threat. This led to the country, on the whole, becoming more conservative as many left-wingers were suspected of being communist. -
Advocates of League of Nations Support Democrats
People who wanted to approve the Treaty of Versailles outright supported Wilson, who wanted no reservations to be made regarding the United States entering the League of Nations. -
Reservationists Support Republicans
People who wanted to join the League of Nations only on certain conditions that would give America more independence from the League supported Henry Cabot Lodge and the Republicans, who generally supported Lodge's reservations. -
Isolationists Support Republicans
Following the conclusion of WWI and the failure of indebted nations to repay American loans, many people saw foreign intervention as negative, and began to support the Republican party rather than the high minded Wilsonian Democrats. -
Rich Support Republicans
Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mellon reduces taxes on the wealthy and gains their support. -
Industrialists Support Republicans
Republicans create high tariffs, winning the support of industrialists. -
Farmers support New Progressive Party
Robert La Follette creates a new Progressive Party for the Election of 1924, and farmers support his ideas. -
Benito Mussolini Takes Italy
Mussolini takes Italy into Fascism and is the first of the Axis leaders to do so Pre-Axis. -
Anti-Prohibitionists Support the Democrats
Presidential candidate Al Smith is against prohibition, winning the support of alcohol enthusiats. -
Election of 1932-Hoover Vs. FDR
In preparation for the upcoming election FDR and Hoover made election rounds, giving speeches and stating their political positions. Hoover was the Republican candidate and FDR was the Democratic candidate. Supporters of active anti-depression efforts were in support of FDR and those who believed the economy would right itself were in favor of Hoover's re-election. -
Hitler's Debut
The same year FDR took office, Hitler came to power in Germany and Facism began to take hold in Europe because of the desperation of the citizens. -
Franklin Roosevelt takes office
Sick of Hoover and the Depression, voters favored FDR's promises over the "trickle-down theory" of Hoover. Most of those who did not support FDR were of the upper class and almost all others supported FDR. -
Spain falls to Fascism
Fraincisco Franco begins a Civil War in Spain and eventually takes complete control in 1939. America retained isolationist policies and did not intervene except on an individual volunteer basis. -
FDR takes a third Term
FDR breaks tradition and takes a third term to assist in ending the crisis that was WW2. -
Pearl Harbor is Attacked
Pearl Harbor is attacked by the Japanese and America goes from being isolationist to an offensive force against the Axis powers, mainly Japan. This marks the beginning of American foreign involvement on a large scale. -
Roosevelt Dies and Truman takes office
Roosevelt dies in office and Harry Truman, the Vice-President, takes office. -
The Atomic Bomb
America drops the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and, two days later, Nagasaki. This establishes the United States as a major superpower and also destroys the lives of hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians. This action secures Japanese surrender. -
Suburbs Grow and support Republicans
The era of suburbia and conformity begins. People are generally more conservative and support Eisenhower. -
The Civil Rights Movement causes African American support of Democrats
Montgomery Bus Boycott began in this year. The Civil Rights Movement had been active for years before this. The main supporters of this movement were young college students of varied race and African-Americans. As this was a more liberal movement it was supported more so by the Democrats than the Republicans. Violent acts were committed against the supporters of this movement during its activity and even after it was on the decline. -
JFK takes office
John F. Kennedy (D) takes the Presidential office. He won by popular vote with the nation's first televised debates. Listeners on the radio said Nixon (R) won the debates while television viewers said Kennedy won. -
Flexible REsponse
John F. Kennedy replaces Eisenhower's foreign policy methods with his own known as "Flexible Response." The United States will be ready for most situations with a variety of options to carry out. The policy is liked by many Americans. -
Politics in South Vietnam
The CIA stages a coup against Ngo Dinh Diem, originally instated by the United States. The Vietnamese governmental system becomes unstable and susceptible to Communism, specifically from North Vietnam and China. The war is unpopular from the beginning. Vietnam War drives more people to support the Republicans. -
Bay of Pigs
The Bay of Pigs was a planned coup of Fidel Castro involving the United States. The United States was to provide air support of the 1,200 or so Cuban exiles who landed on the beach. The U.S. planes were to be disguised in such a way that they would not be recognized as planes from the United States. However, the air support fell through and the Cuban exiles were all either captured or killed. This was not a popular event with many Americans and greatly hurt John F. Kennedy's popularity. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban missile crisis was an event where the Soviet Union shipped weaponry, specifically missiles, to Cuba in support of Fidel Castro and in contempt of the United States. In response to the installation of the missiles, President Kennedy strengthened defensive military positions that were threatened by the missiles and barricaded Cuba using the Navy. -
The March on Washington
Members of SNCC, CORE, SCLC, NAACP, and unaffiliated civilians all attended this massive congregation of individuals and groups supporting the Civil Rights Movement. Here Martin Luther King Jr. made his famous "I Have A Dream" speech. -
John F. Kennedy is Assassinated
John F. Kennedy is assassinated be Lee Harvey Oswald while sitting in a roofless vehicle, campaigning for re-election in 1964. Osawlad shot the President from a distance and was caught soon afterwards. Oswald was killed by Jack Ruby days later. -
Lyndon B. Johnson takes office
Lyndon B. Johnson takes office after President Kennedy's assassination. He is an experienced politicians and a liberal Texan. -
The Great Society Programs
The Great Society was the nickname for Johnson's many liberal social reforms. Programs of the "Great Society" included:
Economic Opportunity Act of 1964
Housing Act
Medicare and Medicaid
Voting Rights Act
Civil Rights Act of 1964 -
Johnson Vs. Goldwater: Election fo 1964
Lyndon B. Johnson (D) runs against Barry Goldwater (R) and wins. Goldwater wanted to cut all New Deal programs and was very conservative. Johnson swept most of the nation in votes. This election was known for the infamous "Daisy" commercial which was used by Johnson to represent Goldwater being "trigger happy." People fear Goldwater, Republican Party loses support. -
The Beginning of the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War began after the destabilization of the South Vietnamese government after the U.S. organized a coup against Ngo Dinh Diem, who was also put in power by the U.S. The escalation to war with the Vietcong and North Vietnamese was when the United States was accused of supporting anti-communist Vietnemese groups in their raids in the area inland of the Gulf of Tonkin.The North Vietnamese attacked the United States' destroyers stationed in the Gulf of Tonkin.The war was always unpopular. -
The Beginning of the Hippie Movement
The Hippie movement began with the children of the nineteen fifties. The basis of the Hippie movement was "peace," "love," and colorful clothing. The movement is known for its ecclectic music and widespread drug usage. The hippies tended to take the side of whomever was more liberal in view if they took any interest in politicians and parties. However, the lighter side of the hippie movement was overshadowed for a time by the Manson murders. -
The Election of 1968
Richard Nixon (R) runs against Herbert Humphrey (D) and wins by a landslide due to Democratic unpopularity with the general public based on LBJ's Vietnam policies as well as Democratic disorganization caused by the death of Robert F. Kennedy and the hippie riot outside of the Democratic Convention Center in Chicago after Humphrey's nomination.
