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HISTORY Founding 1792 founded the Democratic-Republican Party.]] The Democratic-Republican Party evolved from the political factions that opposed Alexander Hamilton's Fiscal Policies in the early 1790s; these factions are known variously as the Anti-Administration “Party” or the Anti-Federalists . In the mid- 1790s , Thomas Jefferson and James Madison organized these factions into a party and helped define its ideology in favor of yeomen farmers, Strict Construction of the Constitution , and a weaker federal government. They named it the "Republican Party." (The term "Democratic-Republican" was rarely used for the party before 1820.) A related grass roots movement, the Democratic-Republican Societies , which sprang up across the country in 1793–94, were not officially affiliated with the new party, but many local Jeffersonian leaders were also leaders of the societies. According to Federalist Noah Webster (who was compiling his dictionary and paid very close attention to words), the choice of the name "Republican" was "a powerful instrument in the process of making proselytes to the party.... The influence of names on the mass of mankind, was never more distinctly exhibited, than in the increase of the democratic party in the United States. The popularity of the denomination of the republican party, was more than a match for the popularity of Washington's character and services, and contributed to overthrow his administration." p. 320 In 1796 , the party made its first bid for the Presidency with Jefferson as its presidential candidate and Aaron Burr as its vice presidential candidate. Jefferson came in second in the Electoral College and became vice president. He was a consistent and strong opponent of the policies of the Adams administration. Jefferson and Madison, through the Kentucky And Virginia Resolutions , announced the “Principles of 1798,” which became the hallmark of the party. The most important of these principles were states' rights, opposition to a strong national government, hostility toward federal courts, and opposition to a Navy and a National Bank . The party saw itself as the true champion of Republicanism , and its opponents as favoring aristocracy rather than rule by the people. Organizational strategy The new party invented many of the campaign techniques that were later adopted by the Federalists and became standard American practice. It was especially effective in building a network of owe their triumph to the unceasing use of this engine; not so much to skill in use of it as by repetition."Cunningham 1957 (p 167) As one historian explains, "It was the good fortune of the Republicans to have within their ranks a number of highly gifted political manipulators and propagandists. Some of them had the ability... to not only see and analyze the problem at hand but to present it in a succinct fashion; in short, to fabricate the apt phrase, to coin the compelling slogan and appeal to the electorate on any given issue in language it could understand." Outstanding phrasemakers included editor William Duane and party leaders Albert Gallatin , Thomas Cooper and Jefferson himself.Tinkcom p 271 Just as important was effective party organization, of the sort John. J. Beckley pioneered. Parties had to mold public opinion and also translate it into meetings, rallies and votes. The Republicans tried to carry the democratic principle into their local nominating meetings, and to convince potential voters that change was possible if they stood together. The Federalists were late in copying the new organizational techniques, because they had a top-down model in which leaders gave orders and followers obeyed.Tinkcom (p 271-72) The Federalists dominated Connecticut, so the Republicans had to work harder to win. In 1806 the state leadership sent to the town leaders instructions for the forthcoming elections. Every town manager was told by state leaders "to appoint a district manager in each district or section of his town, obtaining from each an assurance that he will faithfully do his duty." Then the town manager was instructed to compile lists and total up the number of txpayers, the number of eligible voters, how many were "decided republicans," "decided federalists," or "doubtful," and finally to count the number of supporters who were not currently eligible to vote but who might qualify (by age or taxes) at the next election. These highly detailed returns were to be sent to the county manager. They in turn were to compile county-wide statistics and send it on to the state manager. Using the newly compiled lists of potential voters, the managers were told to get all the eligibles to the town meetings, and help the young men qualify to vote. At the annual official town meeting the managers were told to, "notice what republicans are present, and see that each stays and votes till the whole business is ended. And each District-Manager shall report to the Town-Manager the names of all republicans absent, and the cause of absence, if known to him." Of utmost importance the managers had to nominate candidates for local elections, and to print and distribute the party ticket. The state manager was responsible for supplying party newspapers to each town for distribution by town and district managers. Cunningham 1963 p 129 Jefferson's party platform Political parties in the 1790s did not issue official platforms, but Jefferson issued a major statement in January 1799 that was widely reprinted and circulated. It became the basis of his party's philosophy: …In confutation of these and all future calumnies, by way of anticipation, I shall make to you a profession of my political faith; in confidence that you will consider every future imputation on me of a contrary complexion, as bearing on its front the mark of falsehood & calumny. REVOLUTION OF 1800 The party's electors secured a majority in the 1800 election, but by an oversight, an equal number of electors cast votes for Jefferson and Burr. The tie sent the election to the House, and Federalists there blocked any choice. Finally Hamilton, believing that Burr would be a poor choice for president, arranged for Jefferson to win. Starting with 1800 in what Jefferson called the “ Revolution Of 1800 ”, the Democratic-Republican Party took control of the presidency and both houses of Congress, beginning a quarter century of control of those institutions. The opposition Federalist Party, suffering from a lack of leadership after the death of Hamilton and the retirement of Adams, slowly declined over the next fifteen years until the Hartford Convention of 1815 utterly destroyed it as a political force. A faction called “Old Republicans” opposed the nationalism that grew popular after 1815; and were stunned when party leaders started a Second Bank Of The United States in 1816. In 1804, the party's Congressional caucus for the first time created a sort of national committee, with members from 13 states charged with "promoting the success of the republican nominations."Cunningham 1978 pp 278-79. Unlike the Federalists, the party never held a national convention but always relied on its Congressional caucus to select the national ticket. That caucus, however, did not deal with legislative issues, which were handled by the elected Speaker and informal floor leaders. The state legislatures often instructed members of Congress how to vote on specific issues. More exactly, they "instructed" the Senators (who were elected by the legislatures), and "requested" the Representatives (who were elected by the people.) On rare occasions a Senator resigned rather than follow instructions, Cunningham 1978 288 Last years 1816-1824 In western states the Federalists had few members, but that party did put up a fight in the Northeast. Every state had a distinct political geography that shaped party membership. In Pennsylvania, Democratic-Republicans were weakest around Philadelphia and strongest in Scotch-Irish settlements in the west. Members came from all social classes, but came predominantly from the poor, subsistence farmers, mechanics and tradesmen. (Klein p 44). After the victory in the War Of 1812 , partisanship subsided across the young republic -- people called it the Era Of Good Feeling . Monroe ran unopposed in 1820. The party had always defined itself nationally by the caucus that chose presidential candidates. That caucus was not used after 1816 , and the party as a national institution ceased to exist. James Monroe ran under the party's banner in 1820 (without a caucus), and in 1824 there was no party nominee. In the aftermath of the disputed 1824 election, which went to the House Of Representatives , the party split into factions and dissolved. The more nationalistic wing of the old party, which supported President John Quincy Adams and Secretary of State Henry Clay , joined by much of the core of the old Federalist Party (including Daniel Webster ), formed the new National Republican Party , which was soon superceded by the Whig Party . The more states'-rights oriented party, including supporters of Andrew Jackson and the New York faction led by Martin Van Buren , along with some ex- Federalists , also (and arguably more successfully) claimed the mantle of the old Republican party, calling themselves first Democratic-Republicans, and later simply Democrats. This was the beginning of the modern-day Democratic Party. MODERN CLAIMS TO DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICAN HERITAGE Democrats identify with the anti-elitism, distrust of business and banks, and democratic strivings of the early party; the modern Republican Party (founded 1854) identifies with Jefferson's commitment to states' rights, his distrust of the judiciary, and his commitment to a limited federal government. Only the Democratic party, however, has a direct connection to the Jeffersonian Party. The party's official website states that it was founded in 1792 by Thomas Jefferson. Democratic Party website Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy emphasized the modern Democratic Party's link to the party of Jefferson throught their political careers. The modern Republican Party lacks a direct connection to the Democratic-Republican Party; it traces its descent from the old Republican Party through such intermediaries as the Whigs and the National Republicans . Nevertheless, the coining of the name "Republican Party" in 1854 for the New Party was intended to hearken back to the Jeffersonian party and indeed back to the republican spirit that animated the Revolution in 1776, ideals that Abraham Lincoln and many members of the new party sought to revive.Lewis Gould, ''Grand Old Party'' (2003) p 14. The Democratic Party is often called "the party of Jefferson"; whereas the Republican Party, is called "the party of Lincoln." DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS The following United States President s were elected as members of the Democratic-Republican party:
CANDIDATES
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