Prior to the civil war, early America was already combatting both political and socioeconomic issues amongst its inhabitants. The political condition of the country was divided between two opposing parties whose beliefs established the foundation of various social issues that would arise soon after much dispute. The two contradicting parties were categorized under two titles: Democrats and Whigs.
Democrats, better yet known as America’s modern day Republicans, were composed of “non-producers”—bankers, merchants, spectators—who sought to utilize their government affiliations to enhance their wealth. This was done at the disadvantage of the “producing classes”—farmers, artisans and laborers. The Democrats adopted a hands-off policy regarding
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The Whigs, America’s modern day Democrats, believed that the government was in a high enough position and held enough authority to create conditions of an enriched and controlled economy. This action would (according to their logic), promote the advancement of all classes in various regions. They completely rebuffed the notion that the government should not intervene in private affairs. Those that were in support of the Whigs usually held anti-slavery views, whereas, those in support of the Democrats held pro-slavery views.
Each party played a significant role in the tensions that built along the nation (resulting in the notorious civil war). The members of the Democratic party held prestige statuses in the socioeconomic realm, as well as political. This party was primarily composed of elite members looking to advance their own interests in terms of political issues.
There were also distinct biases in voting and population. Slave states held an unfair advantage under the circumstance that their populations were incomparable to other states because of the slaves that occupied these places. Their populations usually maintained a hold on power by state constitution that gave plantation divisions a considerable amount of representation in legislature (much more than their population called for), as well as through office holders and property
During the Antebellum period, the two major parties were the Democrats and the Whigs. The Democrats advocated for slavery and were led by Herschel V. Johnson, Joseph E. Brown, and congressman Howell Cobb. The upperclassmen were usually part of the Whig party. They wanted the Federal Government to help the South. Robert Toombs and Alexander H. Stephens were the leaders of the Whigs. In the 1840’s most governors were democrats and most of the legislature were Whigs. In the 1850s, Georgians did not like the Compromise of 1850 but the leaders of each party asked the Georgians to accept it. Even though the Georgians didn’t approve of the Compromise they knew it was necessary.
In the 1800s, politics started to change drastically. It was no longer Whigs versus Democrats but North versus South. In every government decision sectionalism became more evident. The Wilmot Proviso is an example that shows sectionalism in the Democratic Party. The South wanted slavery in the lands acquired from Mexico. The North was against slavery in the Mexican Territories. In the North and South, slavery was not the only difference between them. They had very different social lives and economies. The North was very industrialized. Many immigrants came to the North to work in factories. The influx of immigrants caused the birth rate to increase and the population to
The issues of the negative economic trends in the South, enlarged governmental authority, and the failure to ensure the new rights granted in the Constitution bled into what we now know as the Gilded Age. During this point in time there was a load of corruption within politics and businesses. Many people acquired lots of wealth, some more honorably than others. The economic growth that happened during the Gilded Age was more in the North and the West than the South. The South remained heavily rural and was much poorer than the North or West and continued the agricultural practice of sharecropping in hopes of escaping their continuous cycle of debt. Politically, the GOP continued fighting, mainly over economic issues. Within the South, resentment over the outcome of the Civil War lingered. And because of this, majority of the South voted Democrat. The Southern Democratic Party dealt with a lot of competition, within the party itself. During the Gilded Age, many social movements developed. Women abolitionists who were disappointed with the 15th Amendment not granting them the right to vote, fought for issues more vital to them. In conclusion, the Civil War impacted the United States economically, politically, and socially from the point it ended and decades
The Democrats and Whigs were not the only individuals generating a new form of democracy. The Workingmen’s Party, for example, was an organization of small manufacturing towns in New England. Workingmen’s parties were part of the emerging labor movement and were made up of skilled craftsmen who had a different look at how the government should be run. In addition, a growing undertaking of evangelical Christians looked to reform society.
From the Civil War to the Great Depression, American society underwent many changes, including, political and social, but mostly democratic changes. During the time between the Civil War and the Great Depression, the United States became a more democratic society because of societal and technological advancements that changed the American way of life. In this paper, a democratic society will be defined as a society with a governmental system that involves the participation of its citizens to help effectively rule a nation that makes decisions through its elected officials. Before the Civil War, only had a handful of individuals participated in the democratic system of the United States, but by the Great Depression, many individuals participated in politics and influencing society. During the Civil War, the United States was separated by differing viewpoints.
Sectionalism played a large part in the fight for and against slavery in the 1800s. Slavery was a big issue, as the North wanted to abolish slavery with feelings about it being intesified in the early 1800s. The North also felt strongly opposed to slavery for the new states in the West. In the mid-1800s, slavery was a common practice in the South. So common that they viewed it as a large part of how their economy was run.
Democracy in the United States is based on the indirect representation of the people by elected officials who are usually chosen by direct vote. Almost from the beginning of the United States' history, however, two parties have shared the great majority of the elected positions from the local level to the presidency. However, up until the mid-1850's when the Republican party was formed, other parties such as the Whigs, Federalists, and Anti-Federalists did not last very long. The Democratic Party has existed for much longer, tracing its roots from Thomas Jefferson's Democratic Republican Party beginning around 1792 (Encarta). The two largest parties have changed, third parties have
The Jacksonian Democratic Party and the Whig Party each, exemplified different beliefs on the role of the federal government in the economy and towards westward expansion in the 1830s and 1840s. However, the Jacksonian, laissez faire supporting Democrats and the economic nationalistic Whig party shared almost no beliefs except for the removal of American Indians in the areas their supporters wished to settle. The lack of similarities is because the Whigs formed their own party to oppose President Jackson’s strong-armed leadership style and policies which earned him the nickname “King Andrew.” The Jacksonian Democratic Party evolved out of the Democratic-Republican Party in the early 1800s, the core of its membership was composed of farmers, immigrants, and white Southerners. The Whigs formed in 1834 and lasted for 20 years, they were the major political party that opposed Andrew Jackson. The Whigs were created based upon the Federalist beliefs in a strong federal government and adopted many Federalist and National Republican policy ideas, including federal funding for internal improvements, a central bank, and high tariffs to protect the growth of manufacturing enterprises. Overall, the Jacksonian Democratic agrarian Party and the industrialization supporting Whig Party had different beliefs toward the role of the federal government in the economy and towards westward expansion.
The Republicans and Democrats didn’t really have strong opposing beliefs during this period. The Republicans supported high tariffs and sound money. The Democrats supported lower tariffs and expanded currency. Both rural and urban classes supported each party. They worked with spoils and local issues. Both
The conflict between the Democrat party and the Whig party was based around California's admission to the union as a free state. This would upset the balance of power between free and slave states in congress, resulting in a legislative battle between the North and the South. The south had argued that Congress and the states did not have the authority to legislate against the territorial expansion of slavery. The Democrats and the Whigs realized that this was a very delicate topic which could split the country. Eventually the Whigs and the Democrats came to a compromise, which they hoped would prevent a secession. This was known as the Compromise of 1850. The Compromise of 1850 allowed California to be admitted as a free state, but it also
In the United States there are only two main political parties to choose from. The two main parties are the Democrats and the Republicans. There are also many other political parties to choose from which are called third parties. Third parties may include political parties such as the Socialist Equality Party and the Peace and Equality party. People can choose to be a part of any party they want but most go with the common two main parties the Democrats and Republicans. Democrats and Republicans have many similarities and differences. These mainly occur in international, social, economic, and domestic issues.
The American political system is made up of primarily two parties, Democrats and Republicans. These parties go against each-other for many political positions, such as presidency. Each supports and opposes different issues. The Democratic Party supports a bigger government and believes the government should guide the people. They are known as Liberals because typically they like change. The Republican Party supports a smaller government and believes the people should guide the government. They are known as Conservatives because they are in favor of the core laws of this country. Some people do not consider themselves Democratic or Republican. Not all members agree with the majority vote of their party. Each party has a majority
Though the two political parties, the Democrats and Republicans, aged differently in region, ethnicity, and religion, one similarity was prevalent: neither was willing to take strong stands on the most sensitive topics (H). The sectionalism that had been rife prior to the Civil War was still alive. Since neither side wanted to take risks, for fear of upsetting the balance of power, complex issues such as the tariff and money bills moved forward slowly and thus benefited the public too little or too late. The smaller peoples, including farmers, laborers, and small businessmen, were left out of the political equation except at the local machine level. Presidential cabinets were marked by the practice of patronage as the continuation of Andrew Jackson's spoils system became more widespread throughout the country. With no real standouts of the time, the social issues of the day were largely deferred or ignored.
John Mack Faragher at all claim that this group of people defended national rather than sectional interests. Also they believed in internal improvements, which means, that people, poor and rich, could have a good life if they are self-disciplined. The Whigs were very active participants in economic changes, education and social reforms. To improve the inward America, the Whigs helped create private colleges, public schools, cultural institutions and charities. People, who belonged to this political party, were in favor of religion, which was an important aspect in political joining. (81) The Whig party introduced compromise and balance in government, territorial expansion, national unity and support for a domestic manufacturing and national transportation network.
Though the arguments tend to start with differences between both political parties, the two parties do have some things in common. Both Democrats and Republicans want to win, and win by a landslide. Democrats and Republicans both elect a candidate to represent their party in local and national elections. Along with wanting to please the public, both parties advocate their policies. The donkey and elephant used as