The Democratic Party was Once the Republican Party

The Democratic Party was actually first known as the Democratic-Republican Party, but for short was called the Republican Party.

The Democratic Party was founded on May 13, 1792 by Thomas Jefferson, our third United States President.

At the time of its founding there were two different viewpoints regarding how government should exercise its power.

The Federalists or Hamiltonians led by Alexander Hamilton were in favor of a strong central government.

Thomas Jefferson believed in popular rule or rule by the people; and the rights of the states.

The Democratic Party ruled government for about 40 years beginning in 1801 when Jefferson was elected President. This period was sometimes referred to as the “era of good feeling.”

Although Jefferson believed in the power of the people he was like Hamilton and other government statesmen, an aristocrat. Andrew Jackson, not being an aristocrat, but a “backwooodsman” was the first President to bring the real power of the people to the White House. Andrew Jackson organized the Democratic-Republican Party into a real political machine that supported Jefferson’s strict adherence to the Constitution. During Jackson’s reign the party began to call themselves Democrats and this name has endured.

The Democratic Party was most prominent in the Southern states, but there were also Northern Democrats. The differing viewpoints of Northern and Southern Democrats caused a split in the Democratic Party over the issue of Slavery. Southern Democrats wanted to continue Slavery and Slave laws; whereas Northern Democrats were opposed to this. Slavery became an extreme political and economic issue with Southern Democrats wanting to extend slavery into new states and territories. They also upset the Democratic principles of strict adherence to the constitution by interpreting them in a very broad manner so as to extend slavery into new states and territories; and at the same time adhering strictly to states rights so as not to allow constitutional intervention. At the time Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin was considered political propaganda by the Southern Democrats who believed in the Slavery issue.

Due to this aggravated Slavery issue, a new Republican Party formed in 1854. They were against Slavery.

With the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1861, and during his administration the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were enacted which abolished