IV Major Political Parties

The Democratic Party

The Democratic Party is almost as old as the United States and traces its origins to the Democratic-Republican Party, founded by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and other influential opponents of the Federalists in 1792.

Its history started with a feud between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, America's third president. In the 1790's, Hamilton was appointed Secretary of the Treasury and felt that the federal government should have the power to direct the economy, and a society built on industrial interests. Thomas Jefferson, who was at that time the first Secretary of the State, disagreed with Hamilton. He felt the national government should have limited powers and a society with independent farming. Thomas Jefferson, with the help of James Madison then formed what was then called the Democratic-Republic Party, fighting strongly against the Federalist Party of which Hamilton helped form. Thus, Thomas Jefferson was known as the Founding Father of the Democratic Party, which became the dominant political party in the United States from 1800 until the 1820s. When it split into competing factions, one of the factions became the modern-day Democratic Party. In 1800 Jefferson was elected as the first Democratic President of the United States. Five of the country's first eight presidents were Democrats.

The Republican Party

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. It is often referred to as the Grand Old Party or the GOP. When the Republican Party was created, the two major parties in the United States were the Democratic Party and the Whig Party.

Abraham Lincoln

Founded in 1854 by people who wanted to keep slavery from spreading to other parts of the country, the Republican Party rose to prominence with the election of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president. The party presided over the American Civil War and Reconstruction and was harried by internal factions and scandals towards the end of the 19th century. Today, the Republican Party supports a conservative platform, with further foundations in economic liberalism, fiscal conservatism, and social conservatism.

The Democratic Donkey and the Republican Elephant

Did you ever wonder what the story was behind these two famous party animals? The now-famous Democratic donkey was first associated with Democrat Andrew Jackson's 1828 presidential campaign. His opponents called him a jackass（a donkey）, and Jackson decided to use the image of the strong-willed animal on his campaign posters. Later, cartoonist Thomas Nast used the Democratic donkey in newspaper cartoons and made the symbol famous.

Nast invented another famous symbol — the Republican elephant. In a cartoon that appeared in Harper's Weekly in 1874, Nast drew a donkey clothed in lion's skin, scaring away all the animals at the zoo. One of those animals, the elephant, was labeled“The Republican Vote.”The elephant characterized the Republican vote — not the party — which had been scared by the possibility of the Democratic Party seeking a third term for President Ulysses S. Grant. In time, other cartoonists used the elephant, which came to define the party. Democrats today say the donkey is smart and brave, while Republicans say the elephant is strong and dignified.