Democratic-Republican Party
The Democratic-Republican Party was established around 1792, primarily by Thomas Jefferson and his allies, as a response to the Federalist Party's push for a strong central government. Advocating for states' rights and a decentralized government, the party found significant support among agrarian communities, particularly in the South, while facing resistance in the Northeast. Jefferson's election as president in 1801 marked a pivotal moment for the party, which dominated U.S. politics until the controversial election of 1824, where John Quincy Adams was elected despite Andrew Jackson winning the popular vote. Internal divisions within the party, primarily over issues like tariffs and the national bank, ultimately led to its fragmentation into the National Republicans, associated with Adams and Henry Clay, and the Democratic Party, led by Jackson.
The Democratic-Republicans were characterized by their advocacy for small government and strict constitutional interpretation, emphasizing the interests of farmers and laborers over wealthy commercial entities. The party's influence diminished following the War of 1812, as its internal conflicts deepened and the political landscape shifted. The legacy of the Democratic-Republican Party is evident in the formation of modern political factions, contributing to the evolution of the two dominant parties in the U.S.: the Republican and Democratic parties. The ideological debates that emerged during its existence continue to resonate in contemporary American politics, reflecting the ongoing struggle between differing visions of governance and policy.
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Democratic-Republican Party
The Democratic-Republican Party was formed in or around 1792 by Thomas Jefferson and others in response to the growing opposition to the policies of George Washington's Federalist Party. The Federalists favored a strong central government while the Democratic-Republicans favored a decentralized national government in favor of state's rights. The party rose to power when Jefferson was elected president in 1801 and remained the dominant political party in the United States until the contentious presidential election of 1824.
That year, the House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams as president, even though Andrew Jackson won the popular vote. Electoral support had been divided almost equally between Adams and Jackson. But Henry Clay, who had finished fourth in that year's presidential election and was appointed secretary of state, used his influence to get Adams into the White House. Adams lost his re-election bid four years later when Jackson beat him in a landslide.
After the 1824 election, the Democratic-Republican Party split into the National Republicans, led by Adams and Clay, and the Democratic Party, led by Jackson.
Brief History
Thomas Jefferson and his allies deeply feared a strong central government, believing it too closely resembled the monarchy they had fled. This is why their platform strongly favored small-government initiatives and a strict interpretation of the US Constitution. They advocated for the interests of farmers, craftsmen, and laborers, focusing on the needs of small businesses and individuals instead of wealthy businessmen and large commercial operations. The Democratic-Republican Party was immensely popular in the agrarian South while those in the Northeast still favored Federalist policies. The party grew its base by using savvy marketing techniques of the time, such as pamphlets – much like the anti-Britain pamphlets that were so prominent during the American Revolution – newspaper articles, and organized political clubs.
In the early days of US government, the vice presidency was awarded to the second-place finisher in the presidential election, which meant the president and vice president often had deep ideological differences, as Jefferson did when he served as vice president under John Adams. Jefferson was particularly opposed to the Alien and Sedition Acts, passed in 1798, which cracked down on anti-government protesting and imposed strong restrictions on immigration.
Jefferson worked to pass resolutions within the Virginia and Kentucky State Legislatures to help nullify federal laws he thought were unconstitutional. Acutely aware of the growing opposition to Federalist policies, particularly in the South, Jefferson was elected president in 1800, defeating Adams, during what would become one of the ugliest political campaigns in American history.
The backlash created by the Alien and Sedition Acts led to the demise of the Federalist Party shortly after the War of 1812, and growing political divisions within the Democratic-Republican Party led to its demise a few years later. Internal squabbles about tariffs, the powers of the Second Bank of the United States, the national debt, and infrastructure ultimately split the party into the John Quincy Adams-Henry Clay faction and the Andrew Jackson faction.
Despite being born into poverty, Jackson made his way through law school and became a lawyer in Tennessee. He was immensely popular general in the War of 1812, and he became a folk hero when he defeated the British in New Orleans. He favored abandoning the electoral college and expanding slavery and played a significant role in the forced relocation of Native American tribes living east of the Mississippi.
The Henry Clay-John Quincy Adams faction of the old Democratic-Republican Party was viewed with distaste and distrust by Jackson's supporters, many of whom felt they stole the presidency from him in 1824. Clay would later go on to become an architect of the Whig Party, which many historians argue was united only in its opposition to Jackson and his supporters. As the debate over slavery consumed the nation on the eve of the Civil War, the Whig Party eventually dissolved. The antislavery Republican Party arose out of its disjointed coalition. Newspaper magnate Horace Greeley came up with the name "Republican" in 1854.
Today, the Republican and Democratic parties remain the two dominant political parties in the United States, although their issues and coalitions have re-aligned over time.
Impact
The influence of Jefferson's strict interpretation of the Constitution can still be felt today with the modern Tea Party Movement, an anti-government, anti-tax, anti-regulation worldview that permeates the most conservative wings of the modern Republican Party. Additionally, the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus, a delegation of about thirty-six members of the U.S. House of Representatives, has shown an increased willingness to break with party orthodoxy by voting as a bloc. Though not large enough to pass its own legislation, the Freedom Caucus has enough power to block legislation that it does not agree with.
Infighting has led to strong ideological splits within both major American political parties. As of 2017, the Republican Party is split between moderates and strict constitutionalists; the sides are sharply divided over issues like immigration, free trade, and social programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Staunch conservatives generally oppose, on principle, any expansion of government for any reason while others in the party support social programs and government investment in infrastructure such as roads and bridges.
Additionally, as of 2017, the Democratic Party is split between centrists and progressives. Mainstream Democrats with more centrist views tend to favor free trade and open borders, while progressives are much more cautious on issues such as trade and military intervention in foreign affairs. Progressives also believe in national health care and raising the federal minimum wage.
Bibliography
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"Democratic-Republican Party." UXL Encyclopedia of U.S. History, 2009, http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/uhic/ReferenceDetailsPage/DocumentToolsPortletWindow?displayGroupName=Reference&jsid=27c4d7c605ee78f96be9be874b8f557c&action=2&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CCX3048900171&u=oak30216&zid=9c00b8eb644b4e46de39f8a9335adc67. Accessed 22 May, 2017.
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"The Alien and Sedition Acts." USHistory.org, http://www.ushistory.org/us/19e.asp. Accessed 22 May, 2017.
"Thomas Jefferson: Campaigns and Elections." University of Virginia Miller Center, https://millercenter.org/president/jefferson/campaigns-and-elections. Accessed 22 May, 2017.
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"Why America's hard left, hard right turns are so misguided." The San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May, 2017. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/editorials/sd-republicans-democrats-discord-20170522-story.html. Accessed 22 May, 2017.