By Ketzia Jimenez
In his farewell address, President George Washington mentioned his disapproval of political parties by saying, “...to become potent engines...men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people..” During his time, the formation of political parties was just the beginning as Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton continually debated each other on what path the US should take to ensure its survival and growth. They both founded what would be known as the first political parties, the Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties. They were due to the ongoing debate of how much of a role government needed to have in citizens’ lives, the economy, and international relations. Both parties did not last long as the Federalist party disbanded after facing the opposition from Jefferson’s presidency and their attitudes towards the War of 1812. The Democratic-Republican party ended due to members having different views in the election of 1824 regarding support for candidates John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson.
John Quincy Adams won the election of 1824 but, Andrew Jackson received nationwide recognition and cemented himself to have a long-lasting political career. In fact, Andrew Jackson won both the electoral and popular vote until Henry Clay proceeded with a contingent election where the House of Representatives chose Adams instead under the 12th Amendment. Jackson ran again in 1828 and successfully was elected and with him came a new era of politics in the US known as Jacksonian Democracy. His political ideas were to extend voting rights for most white men, opposition to the Second Bank of the US, and expanding the country under Manifest Destiny. Most importantly, Jackson was the first-ever Democratic president to be elected, and his movement were the ones to discover the Democratic Party which is still active to this day. Jackson’s political philosophy lasted until the 1850s as slavery became a larger issue. During this decade, the US’ other major political party of today, the Republican party, was formed after former members of the Whig Party did not know how to handle the issue of slavery. A decade later, Abraham Lincoln was the first president elected under the party as the Democratic Party was having the same issues the Whig Party had before.
The Republican Party was very successful as it dominated the later half and beginning of the 19th and 20th centuries. When Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected during the 1930s, the Democratic party saw a rise in popularity. The parties faced great change as the era of segregation continue and the civil rights era emerged. Voters changed their political party depending on what they believe in. Since these eras, the modern political parties we know today have stayed fairly the same.
It is so important to know the history behind the political party you affiliate with to understand its impact on history, politics, and other areas. George Washington did give his disapproval of political parties forming, but he also knew they were inevitable. Our current political parties also emerged from older political parties whose views are very important to understand and why our political parties had to be formed. Political parties also help us understand how society has progressed over time. Our current political parties have been in power since 1828 and continue to have a large influence.
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