Existing comment:
Political Landscape:
The Democrats:
The Democratic Party formed in the late 1820's around Andrew Jackson. He believed in an America based on agriculture and the independent craftsman, and opposed the rise of cities, industrialization, and the centralization of government.
Although originally a national party, by the 1850's the Democratic Party's arguments for strict adherence to the Constitution, states' rights, and limited federal government merged into a single issue: the protection of slavery. With this shift, the party became more regional, and its region was the slaveholding South.
The Whigs:
The Whigs appeared in the early 1830's as a reaction against President Andrew Jackson. They argued that finance and manufacturing were central to America's growth, and government intervention in the economy was necessary to develop the country's resources.
Whigs such as Daniel Webster and Henry Clay supported government assistance for road and canal building and advocated high tariffs to protect emerging industries. By 1840, the Whigs were popular enough to elect war hero William Henry Harrison president.
The Republicans:
The biggest threat to the Democrats, however, emerged as a result of their defense of slavery. As Americans moved westward, the question of allowing slavery into the new territories dominated all other political subjects. Northerners, who wanted the West free of slaves and open only to whites, opposed the expansion of slavery. In the mid-1850's, former Whigs, including Abraham Lincoln, northern Democrats, and remnants from earlier anti-slavery parties combined to form the Republican Party.
Both Democrats and Republicans saw each other as a threat to American progress and opportunity. By the late 1850's, these two positions were headed for a catastrophic confrontation. |