By: Jason Cline

For more than 200 years, political parties have played a significant role in the United States Government.  Although they were not formally written into the Constitution, they are nonetheless a major contributor to the nation and its government.

1787- The first sign of political parties in our nation.  The Federalists Party headed by John Adams and Alexander Hamilton and the opposition, the Anti-Federalists, headed by Thomas Jefferson.  The Federalists tended to be more conservative while the Anti-Federalists were more liberal.

1788-  George Washington becomes first United States President.  He is not associated with a political party.

1796- John Adams becomes second President as a Federalist.  He won with 71 Electoral College votes.  During this time, the candidate with the second most votes won the Vice Presidency. 

1797- In March, George Washington expressed his concerns about political parties.  In his Farewell Address, he stated that he felt that political parties would split the nation.

1800- The Anti-Federalists became the Democratic-Republicans as they supported Thomas Jefferson for the Presidential Election.  Jefferson  was the first President elected as a nominee from a political party.

1808- James Madison wins Presidency as a Democratic-Republican.  Madison proposed the Virginia Plan, which was the first general plan for the Constitution.           

1810- During this time, the political parties had very weak support.  They were simply measures taken to obtain a nomination for office.

1816- James Monroe becomes President as a Democratic-Republican.  Monroe may be best known for the Monroe Doctrine, which were four guidelines that made up the foreign policy.

1820- Political Parties and the support for these parties took drastic declines, especially the Federalist Party, since they had not elected one of their own since John Adams.

1824- John Quincy Adams is elected as President.  He was a National Republican.  Adams was known as  a minority President because not one of the candidates had a majority of the votes and the decision went   to Congress.  

1826- The Political Parties underwent a name change, the Federalists became the National Republicans and the Anti-Federalists became the Democrats.  The name change was in hopes of sparking stronger public support and interest.

1828- Andrew Jackson is elected President as a Democrat.  Jackson was the first President not born in either Virginia or New England.

1830- Political Party growth increased with national growth westward and as the voters began increasing.

1832- The United States first Presidential nominating convention held by Democratic Party.  William Wirt ran as a third party candidate for the Anti-Masonic Party.  Political Parties gained support by starting state and local organizations.

1836- Martin Van Buren becomes the second Democratic President elected.  Van Buren was the first nonincumbent nominated by a major party convention to win Presidency.

1838- The National Republicans became known as the Whig Party.

1840- The Liberty Party emerged as a third party.  William Harrison becomes the first Whig President, but later died in office.  Harrison was the first President to die in office.  He was replaced by John Tyler who was also a Whig.  Tyler was first Vice President to succeed the President in office.

1844- James K. Polk becomes President as a Democrat. 

1848- The Free Soil Party replaced the Liberty Party as a third party.  Martin Van Buren ran under the Free Soil Party ticket, after winning the  Presidency in 1836 as a Democrat, but is defeated by Whig candidate Zachary Taylor.  He later died in office and was replaced by Whig member Millard Fillmore.

The Democratic Party held their first national convention.

1850- The Democratic Party dominated much of the South as slavery became a serious issue.

1852- Democratic candidate Franklin Pierce becomes President. 

1854- The Republican Party is formed as members seek to abolish slavery.  It is formed by abolitionists and members of the Whig Party.

1856- The Republican Party drew most of its support from the North as the Democrats dominated the South.  The Republicans also held their first national convention. Democrat James Buchanan is elected President. 

1860- After the election of Abraham Lincoln, the Republicans would hold the Presidency for the next twenty-four years.  The Democrats were split between the North and South as they ran a split ticket and were unable to defeat Lincoln.  Lincoln later issued the Emancipation Proclamation, in 1863, which freed slaves in rebellion

1861- With the declaration of the Civil War, the parties began to take sides.  The Republicans sided with the North and the Democrats with the  South.  

1864- During the Civil War, Democrat Andrew Johnson becomes President after the assignation of President Lincoln.  Johnson was first President to be impeached by the House later to be acquitted by Senate.

1866- The two political parties of the nation would take on their final name change, Republican Party and Democratic Party.

1868- In the years following the Civil War, Republican Ulysses S. Grant is elected President.  

1870- The two political parties continued to be at odds, even after the war, because of the struggle for black rights.  The Republicans were made of mostly black members during this time while the Democrats were   mainly white.

1876- Another Republican, Rutherford B. Hayes is elected to the White House.  Democrats began gaining the support of new immigrants.

1880- Republican James a. Garfield would become President only to die while in office.  He was replaced by Chester Arthur. 

1884- Grover Cleveland was elected to office as a Democrat.  Only President to serve two nonconsecutive terms in office.

1888- Republican Benjamin Harrison wins the Presidency.  Cleveland actually had more popular votes, but Harrison edged him out in Electoral College votes.

1892- The Populists emerged as a third party candidate.  This was a party mainly for the farmers of the nation.  In the election, James B. Weaver ran under the Populist Party.  Grover Cleveland wins his second nonconsecutive election as a Democrat.

1896- William McKinley becomes President.  He later died in office and was replaced by Theodore Roosevelt. 

1900- The Century would begin with a Republican dominance as they will go on to win six of the next eight elections. 

1904- Theodore Roosevelt won the reelection as a Republican.  Roosevelt was known for his quote, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”

1908- William Howard Taft win the Presidential Election.  Taft was hand-picked by Roosevelt to replace him as President.

1912- Woodrow Wilson is the first Democratic President of the twentieth century.  He would serve two consecutive terms.  Theodore Roosevelt would abandon the Republican Party and form the Bull Moose Party composed of reformist Republicans. 

1920- Again, the Republican dominance of the twentieth Century shines through as Warren G. Harding is elected to the White House.  Unfortunately, he would die in office and be replaced by Calvin Coolidge. 

1928- Republican Herbert Hoover becomes the President of the United States.  Served as President during the Great Depression and most of the blame was placed there.

1932- Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes only the second Democratic President of the twentieth Century.  He would give the Democratic Party a much  needed spark.  He would go on to serve three terms.  He would also    die in office.  The Democrats began a dominance sparked by the conditions after the Great Depression.

1935- Senator Huey Long, a Democrat from Louisiana was once asked to give a comparison of the Republican and Democratic Parties.  He would tell a story of a traveling salesman who offered two patent  medicines.   One was “high populorum” tonic which was taken from the bark of a tree from the top down.  The other a “low populorum” tonic which was taken from the bark of a tree from the bottom up.  The    moral is. “The only difference I’ve found in Congress between the Republican and Democratic leadership is that one of’em is skinning us from the ankle up and the other from the ear down.”

1944- Democrat Harry S. Truman becomes President of the United States after the death of President Roosevelt. 

1948- The South’s states’ rights Democrats split from the Democrats.

1952- Dwight D. Eisenhower wins Presidency as a Republican.  Arguably, the most popular President to ever enter the White House.

1960- JFK, a Democrat, is elected to office, but is assassinated in office and           replaced by Lyndon B. Johnson.  He was the youngest elected  President in history.

1968- Richard M. Nixon is elected President.  He would later resign from office following the Watergate Scandal.  Gerald Ford would replace Nixon and finish his term. George Wallace would run as an American Independent. 

1976- Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter wins the Presidential Election. 

1980- Ronald Reagan would serve as President for  most of the eighties as he serves two consecutive terms.  He is known as the Great Communicator.  John B. Anderson would run as an independent third   party candidate. 

1985- The Democratic Leadership Council is established. 

1988- Republican George Bush claims victory and would serve two terms.            However, he loses support with his concentration on international issues. 

1992- Democrat Bill Clinton is elected to Presidency.  Billionaire Ross Perot ran as an independent candidate.

1996- Clinton wins reelection and is currently serving his second term as President.  Ross Perot forms the Reform Party.  Clinton became second President in American history to be impeached.

2000- George W. Bush wins Election after nearly six week battle with Vice-President Gore. Hanging Chad became new world

2001- September 11, Terrorists flew planes into World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and a plane was downed in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 Americans were killed this most infamous day in American History.

2001- U.S. Enters into War in Afghanistan

2003- U.S. Enters into War in Iraq

2004- George W. Bush won re-election to a second term versus Senator John Kerry. A record amount of American citizens voted this election day.

The Republican Party currently has office holders of fifty-five Senators, 232 Representatives.

After a brief summary of the past 200 years of American Political History, one thing is certain, the only constant in the political world is change.