Citizendia
Your Ad Here

The Second Party System is a term of periodization used by historians and political scientists to name the political system existing in the United States from about 1837 to 1852. Periodization is the attempt to categorize or divide Time into discrete named blocks The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The system was characterized by rapidly rising levels of voter interest beginning in 1828, as demonstrated by election day turnout, rallies, partisan newspapers, and a high degree of personal loyalty to party.

The major parties were the Democratic Party, led by Andrew Jackson, and the Whig Party, a coalition of National Republicans, Anti-Masons, and other opponents of Jackson, led by Henry Clay. The History of the United States Democratic Party is an account of the oldest Political party in the United States and arguably TalkDemocratic Andrew Jackson (March 15 1767 June 8 1845 was the seventh President of the United States (1829&ndash1837 The Whig Party was a Political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. For the party of Abraham Lincoln to George W Bush see Republican Party (United States (G Anti-Masonry (alternatively called Anti-Freemasonry) is defined as "Avowed opposition to Freemasonry " Henry Clay Sr ( April 12, 1777 &ndash June 29, 1852) was a nineteenth-century American statesman and Orator who Minor parties included the Anti-Masonic Party, which was an important innovator from 1827–34; the Liberty Party in 1840; the Free Soil Party in 1848 and 1852; and the Know-Nothing Party in the 1850s. The Anti-Masonic Party (also known as the Anti-Masonic Movement) was a 19th century minor Political party in the United States. The Know Nothing movement was a Nativist American political movement of the 1850s The Second Party System reflected and shaped the political, social, economic and cultural currents of the Jacksonian Era. Jacksonian Democracy refers to the political philosophy of United States President Andrew Jackson and his supporters

Contents

Patterns

Historian Richard McCormick is most responsible for defining the term. He concluded (McCormick 1966 pp 14-16):

Leaders

Among the best-known figures (on the Democratic side) were: Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, John C. Calhoun, James K. Polk, Lewis Cass, and Stephen Douglas. Andrew Jackson (March 15 1767 June 8 1845 was the seventh President of the United States (1829&ndash1837 Martin Van Buren (December 5 1782 July 24 1862 was the eighth President of the United States from 1837 to 1841 John Caldwell Calhoun (March 18 1782 &ndash March 31 1850 was a leading United States Southern politician and political philosopher from South Carolina during James Knox Polk ( November 2 1795&ndashJune 15 1849 was the eleventh President of the United States, serving from March 4 1845 to March 4 1849 Lewis Cass ( October 9, 1782 – June 17, 1866) was an American military officer and Politician. Stephen Arnold Douglas ( April 23, 1813 - June 3, 1861) was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and On the Whig side, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, William H. Seward, Thurlow Weed, and Abraham Lincoln. Henry Clay Sr ( April 12, 1777 &ndash June 29, 1852) was a nineteenth-century American statesman and Orator who Daniel Webster (January 18 1782 &ndash October 24 1852 was a leading American Statesman during the nation's Antebellum Period. This article is about the New York Governor and Secretary of State Thurlow Weed ( November 15, 1797 &ndash November 22, 1882) was a New York political boss Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal

Origins

The 1824 presidential election, operated without political parties, came down to a four-man race. In the United States presidential election of 1824, John Quincy Adams was elected President on February 9 1825 after the election was decided by the House Each candidate (Henry Clay, William Crawford, Andrew Jackson, and John Quincy Adams), all of whom were nominally Democratic Republicans, had a regional base of support involving factions in the various states. Henry Clay Sr ( April 12, 1777 &ndash June 29, 1852) was a nineteenth-century American statesman and Orator who William Crawford is the name of William Crawford (soldier (1732–1782 soldier in American Revolution western land agent of George Washington burnt at Andrew Jackson (March 15 1767 June 8 1845 was the seventh President of the United States (1829&ndash1837 John Quincy Adams (July 11 1767 &ndash February 23 1848 was an American diplomat and politician who served as the sixth President of the United States With no electoral college majority, the choice devolved on the House of Representatives. Clay was not among the three finalists, but as Speaker of the House he negotiated the settlement. The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is the presiding officer&mdashor speaker &mdashof the United States House of Representatives. Jackson, despite having won the most popular votes and the most electoral votes, was not elected. John Quincy Adams, son of former President John Adams, was elected, and he immediately chose Clay as Secretary of State. John Adams (October 30 1735 July 4 1826 was one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States.

Jackson, the most famous of the nation's Indian fighters, and an authentic hero of the War of 1812, loudly denounced the "corrupt bargain. The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies Three deals cut in connection with the presidency of the United States - two in contested United States presidential elections and a presidential appointment of a vice president - " Campaigning vigorously, and appealing both to local militia companies and to state political factions, Jackson assembled a coalition, the embryonic Democratic Party, that ousted Adams in 1828. The United States presidential election of 1828 featured a rematch between incumbent President John Quincy Adams and chief rival Andrew Jackson. Martin Van Buren, brilliant leader of New York politics, was Jackson's key aide, bringing along the large electoral votes of Virginia and Pennsylvania. Martin Van Buren (December 5 1782 July 24 1862 was the eighth President of the United States from 1837 to 1841 His reward was appointment as Secretary of State and later nomination and election to the vice presidency as heir to the Jacksonian tradition. The Adams-Clay wing of the Democratic-Republican Party became known as the National Republicans, although Adams never considered himself a loyal member of the party.

Jackson: Bank war and Spoils System

Jackson considered himself a reformer. More exactly he was committed to the old ideals of Republicanism, and bitterly opposed anything that smacked of special favors for special interests. While Jackson never engaged in a duel as president, he had shot political opponents before and was just as determined to destroy his enemies on the battlefields of politics. The Second Party System came about primarily because of Jackson's determination to destroy the Second Bank of the United States. The Second Bank of the United States was a bank chartered in 1816 five years after the expiration of the First Bank of the United States. Headquartered in Philadelphia, with offices in major cities around the country, the federally chartered Bank operated somewhat like a central bank (like the Federal Reserve System a century later). Local bankers and politicians annoyed by the controls exerted by Nicholas Biddle grumbled loudly. Nicholas Biddle may refer to Nicholas Biddle (naval officer (1750-1778 an officer in the American Continental Navy Nicholas Biddle (banker Jackson did not like any banks (paper money was anathema to Jackson; he believed only gold and silver ["specie"] should circulate. ) After Herculean battles with Henry Clay, the chief protagonist, Jackson finally broke Biddle's bank.

Jackson continued to attack the banking system. His Specie Circular of July 1836 rejected paper money issued by banks (it could no longer be used to buy federal land), insisting on gold and silver coins. The Specie Circular ( Coinage Act) was an executive order issued by U Most businessmen and bankers (but not all) went over to the Whig party, and the commercial and industrial cities became Whig strongholds. Jackson meanwhile became even more popular with the subsistence farmers and day laborers who distrusted bankers and finance.

Jackson systematically used the federal patronage system, what was called the Spoils System. In the Politics of the United States, a spoils system is an informal practice where a political party after winning an election gives government jobs to its voters as a reward Jackson not only rewarded past supporters; he promised future jobs if local and state politicians joined his team. As Syrett explains: When Jackson became President, he implemented the theory of rotation in office, declaring it "a leading principle in the republican creed. Rotation in office, or term limits dates back to the American Revolution and prior to that to the democracies and republics of antiquity "[1] He believed that rotation in office would prevent the development of a corrupt civil service. On the other hand, Jackson's supporters wanted to use the civil service to reward party loyalists to make the party stronger. In practice, this meant replacing civil servants with friends or party loyalists into those offices. The spoils system did not originate with Jackson. It originated under Thomas Jefferson when he removed Federalist office-holders after becoming president. Thomas Jefferson (April 13 1743 – July 4 1826 was the third President of the United States (1801–1809 the principal author of the Declaration of Independence The Federalist Party (or Federal Party) was an American political party in the period 1792 to 1816 with remnants lasting into the 1820s [2] Also, Jackson did not out the entire civil service. At the end of his term, Jackson had only dismissed less than twenty percent of the original civil service. [3] While Jackson did not start the spoils system, he did encourage its growth and it became a central feature of the Second Party System, as well as the Third Party System, until it ended in the 1890s. The Third Party System is a term of Periodization used by some historians and political scientists to describe a period in American political history from about 1854 to the mid-1890s As one historian explains:

"Although Jackson dismissed far fewer government employees than most of his contemporaries imagined and although he did not originate the spoils system, he made more sweeping changes in the Federal bureaucracy than had any of his predecessors. What is even more significant is that he defended these changes as a positive good. At present when the use of political patronage is generally considered an obstacle to good government, it is worth remembering that Jackson and his followers invariably described rotation in public office as a "reform. " In this sense the spoils system was more than a way to reward Jackson's friends and punish his enemies; it was also a device for removing from public office the representatives of minority political groups that Jackson insisted had been made corrupt by their long tenure. "[4]

Modernizing Whigs

Meanwhile economic modernizers, bankers, businessmen, commercial farmers, many of whom were already National Republicans, and Southern planters angry at Jackson's handling of the Nullification crisis were mobilized into a new anti-Jackson force; they called themselves Whigs. The Nullification Crisis was a sectional crisis during the presidency of Andrew Jackson created by the Ordinance of Nullification, an attempt by the The Whig Party was a Political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. [5] In the northeast, a moralistic crusade against the highly secretive Masonic order matured into a regular political party, the Anti-Masons, which soon combined with the Whigs. The Anti-Masonic Party (also known as the Anti-Masonic Movement) was a 19th century minor Political party in the United States. Jackson fought back by aggressive use of federal patronage, by timely alliances with local leaders, and with a rhetoric that identified the Bank and its agents as the greatest threat to the republican spirit. Eventually his partisans called themselves "Democrats. " The Whigs had an elaborate program for modernizing the economy. To stimulate the creation of new factories, they proposed a high tariff on imported manufactured goods. The Democrats said that would fatten the rich; the tariff should be low--for "revenue only" (thus not to foster manufacturing). Whigs argued that banks and paper money were needed; the Democrats countered that no honest man wants them. Public works programs to build roads, canals and railroads would give the country the infrastructure it needed for rapid economic development, said the Whigs. Democrats replied they did not want that kind of complex change. Rather the Democrats called for more of the same--especially more farms to raise the families in the traditional style. More land is needed for that, Democrats said, so they pushed for expansion south and west. Jackson conquered Florida for the US. Over intense Whig opposition, his political heir, James Polk (1844-48) added Texas, the Southwest, California, and Oregon. James Knox Polk ( November 2 1795&ndashJune 15 1849 was the eleventh President of the United States, serving from March 4 1845 to March 4 1849 Next on the Democratic agenda would be Cuba. The Ostend Manifesto was a secret document written in 1854 by U

In most cities the rich men were solidly Whig--85-90% of the men worth over $100,000 in Boston and New York City voted Whig. [6]. In rural America, the Whigs were stronger in market towns and commercial areas, and the Democrats stronger on the frontier and in more isolated areas. Ethnic and religious communities usually went the same way, with Irish and German Catholics heavily Democratic, and pietistic Protestants more Whiggish. [7].

The parties

Democratization

Gienapp (1982) points out that the American political system underwent fundamental change after 1820 under the rubric of Jacksonian Democracy. Jacksonian Democracy refers to the political philosophy of United States President Andrew Jackson and his supporters While Jackson himself did not initiate the changes he took advantage in 1828 and symbolized many of the changes. For the first time politics assumed a central role in voters' lives. Before then deference to upper class elites, and general indifference most of the time, characterized local politics across the country. The suffrage laws were not at fault for they allowed mass participation; rather few men were interested in politics before 1828, and fewer still voted or became engaged because politics did not seem important. Changes followed the psychological shock of the panic of 1819, and the 1828 election of Andrew Jackson, with his charismatic personality and controversial policies. The Panic of 1819 was the first major financial crisis in the United States, after the depression of the late 1780s (which led directly to the establishment of the By 1840, Gienapp argues, the revolution was complete: "With the full establishment of the second party system, campaigns were characterized by appeals to the common man, mass meetings, parades, celebrations, and intense enthusiasm, while elections generated high voter participation. In structure and ideology, American politics had been democratized. " [Gienapp ed (1982) p 15]

Democratic strategies

The Whigs built a strong party organization in most states; they were weak only on the frontier. The Whigs used newspapers effectively, and soon adopted the exciting campaign techniques that lured 75 to 85% of the eligible voters to the polls. Abraham Lincoln emerged early as the leader in Illinois--where he usually was bested by an even more talented politician, Stephen Douglas. Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal Stephen Arnold Douglas ( April 23, 1813 - June 3, 1861) was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and Douglas was the dominant figure in the Democratic party throughout the late 1840s and 1850s. While Douglas and the Democrats were somewhat behind the Whigs in newspaper work, they made up for this weakness by emphasis on party loyalty. Anyone who attended a Democratic convention, from precinct level to national level, was honor bound to support the final candidate, whether he liked it or not. This rule produced numerous schisms, but on the whole the Democrats controlled and mobilized their rank and file more effectively than the Whigs did.

Whig parade in 1840
Whig parade in 1840

Whig weaknesses

The biggest problem for the Whigs was not lack of leadership or organization. Rather it was that they were always a close second. Party loyalty was strong, and it was hard to convert 48% of the vote into 51%. Clay was the towering leader of the party, but he repeatedly lost (in 1824, 1832, 1844). The Whigs had their most luck with famous generals (like William Henry Harrison, winner in 1840, and Zachary Taylor, winner in 1848), but even that did not always work (Harrison lost in 1836; Winfield Scott lost in 1852). This article is about the general and president For his great-great-grandson see William H Zachary Taylor (November 24 1784 &ndash July 9 1850 was an American military leader and the twelfth President of the United States. Winfield Scott ( June 13, 1786 &ndash May 29, 1866) was a United States Army general Diplomat, and presidential candidate

The Whig party's other fundamental weakness was its inability to take a position on slavery. As a coalition of Northern National Republicans and Southern Nullifiers, Whigs in each of the two regions held opposing views on slavery. Therefore, the Whig party was only able to conduct successful campaigns as long as the slavery issue was ignored. By the mid-1850s, the question of slavery dominated the political landscape, and the Whigs, unable to agree on an approach to the issue, began to disintegrate. A few Whigs lingered, claiming that, with the alternatives being a pro-Northern Republican party and a pro-Southern Democratic party, they were the only political party that could preserve the Union. In 1856, the remaining Whigs endorsed the Know-Nothing campaign of Millard Fillmore and in 1860 they endorsed the Constitutional Union ticket of John Bell, but, with the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, the Whig party ceased to exist. The Know Nothing movement was a Nativist American political movement of the 1850s Millard Fillmore ( January 7 1800 &ndash March 8 1874 was the thirteenth President of the United States, serving from 1850 until 1853 and the last member of the Whig The Constitutional Union Party (also known as the Bell-Everett Party in California was a Political party in the United States created in 1860 John Bell may refer to John Bell (Bishop of Worcester (died 1556 English clergyman John Bell (traveller (1691–1780 Scottish

Most of the prominent men in most towns and cities were Whigs, and they controlled local offices and judgeships, in addition to many state offices. Thus the outcome of the political process was mixed. In Springfield, Illinois, a strong Whig enclave in a Democratic region, poll books that show how individuals voted indicates the rise of the Whigs took place in 1836 in opposition to the presidential candidacy of Martin Van Buren and was consolidated in 1840. Springfield is the capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 116482 (U The United States presidential election of 1836 is predominantly remembered for three reasons It was the last election until 1988 to result in the elevation Martin Van Buren (December 5 1782 July 24 1862 was the eighth President of the United States from 1837 to 1841 The United States presidential election of 1840 saw President Martin Van Buren fight for re-election against an economic depression and a Whig Party Springfield Whigs tend to validate historical studies elsewhere: they were largely native-born, either in New England or Kentucky, professional men or farm owners, and devoted to partisan organization. Abraham Lincoln's career mirrors the Whigs' political rise, but by the 1840's Springfield began to fall into the hands of the Democrats, as immigrants changed the city's political makeup. Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal By the 1860 presidential election, Lincoln was barely able to win the city. [8]

Democrats dominant 1852

By the 1850s most Democratic party leaders had accepted many Whiggish ideas, and no one could deny the economic modernization of factories and railroads was moving ahead rapidly. The old economic issues died about the same time old leaders like Calhoun, Webster, Clay, Jackson and Polk passed from the scene. New issues, especially the questions of slavery, nativism and religion came to the fore. 1852 was the last hurrah for the Whigs; everyone realized they could win only if the Democrats split in two. With the healing of the Free Soil revolt after 1852, Democratic dominance seemed assured. The Whigs went through the motions, but both rank and file and leaders quietly dropped out. The Third Party System was ready to emerge. The Third Party System is a term of Periodization used by some historians and political scientists to describe a period in American political history from about 1854 to the mid-1890s

See also: American election campaigns in the 19th century
See also: Third Party System

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Andrew Jackson's First Annual Message to Congress. In the 19th century, the United States invented or developed a number of new methods for conducting American Election Campaigns. The Third Party System is a term of Periodization used by some historians and political scientists to describe a period in American political history from about 1854 to the mid-1890s The Anti-Nebraska Party was an American Political party formed in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. The American Presidency Project. Retrieved on 2006-11-21. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem.
  2. ^ The Spoils System versus the Merit System. Retrieved on 2006-11-21. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem.
  3. ^ Jacksonian Democracy: The Presidency of Andrew Jackson. Retrieved on 2006-11-21. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem.
  4. ^ Syrett, 28.
  5. ^ See Whigs came from the Patriots, also known as Whigs, against King George; the new Party of the Whigs were against "King Jackson". "The Whig Challenge and the Second Party System,", in Mary Beth Norton et al, A People and a Nation (8th ed. 2008), ch 12
  6. ^ Watson (1990) p, 236
  7. ^ Watson (1990) p, 236-7
  8. ^ Winkle (1998)

Bibliography

Primary sources

External links

Political eras of the United States of America

First Party System | Second Party System | Third Party System | Fourth Party System | Fifth Party System | A Sixth Party System?
The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The First Party System is a term of Periodization used by some political scientists and historians to describe the political system existing in the United States between The Third Party System is a term of Periodization used by some historians and political scientists to describe a period in American political history from about 1854 to the mid-1890s The Fourth Party System is the term used in political science and history for the period in American political history from about 1896 to 1932 that was dominated by the Republican The New Deal Coalition, also known as the Fifth Party System, refers to the era of United States national politics that began with the New Deal The New Deal Coalition, also known as the Fifth Party System, refers to the era of United States national politics that began with the New Deal
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic