A+Guide+To+Political+History

A Guide To Political History...

__**The Early Colonial Period (1600~1763)**__ //The colonial history of the United States covers the time from European settlement in the east coast of North America (aka the thirteen colonies of Britain) to the declaration of independence in 1776.//



Jamestown The first British settlement in America. As John Smith and John Rolfe introduced strict work ethics and how to plant tobaccos, the settlement began to slowly but steadily develop despite its drawbacks in the beginning. John Smith negotiated with local Native American tribes.

Pocahontas Pocahontas was a key to the British-and-Native American diplomatic relationship. Although there was relative peace when she was alive (because she married John Rolfe), after her death in 1617, the political and economic ties with the Native Americans began to quickly worsen.

Separatist Puritans vs. non-Separatist Puritans The early political factions of colonial America primarily came from religious differences. Radical Calvinists (Separatist Puritans / Pilgrims) strongly opposed the Church of England; they led the Mayflower and established the early settlements in Plymouth.



Mayflower Compact The Mayflower Compact was a document that laid a foundation for self-government to the first settlers in Massachusetts. Although the compact was simply an "agreement" between the settlers, it set out an example and marked the start of a democratic government.

Roger Williams & Anne Hutchinson Both believed that the Church and State should be operated separately and eventually challenged the roles of the Congregational Church.

__**Road To Independence (1763~1783)**__



Dominion of New England The Dominion of New England was a combination of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey; it was governed by the notorious Sir Edmond Andros (at least to the colonists).

The Glorious Revolution William and Mary eventually came to replace James II of England (without any bloodshed). William and Mary allowed more power to the legislatures and the Parliament.

Albany Plan of Union The Albany Plan of Union tried to establish a confederation among colonists under British rule; but unfortunately, this never had any practical effect to the colonists.

Virtual Representation The late colonial periods were plagued with a bombardment of various taxes that the British crown and Parliament imposed on the colonists. While the colonists persistently claimed that there should be no taxation without representation - as there was no delegate from the colonies that represented their rights in Parliament - the British responded with the idea of virtual representation: all British subjects are represented in Parliament even if they cannot directly voice their opinions.

Committees of Correspondence As the relationship between the colonists and the Parliament began to worsen, the colonies formed a coalition so that they could cooperate against the "wrongdoings" of the British.

Olive Branch Petition The colonists insisted that the British repeal the Intolerable Acts, cease fire in New England, and also give equal rights as British citizens living in England.

Whigs vs. Tories While the Whigs mainly were New Englanders who strongly opposed to royal rule, the Tories were the Southern loyalists who were conservative in their political view. The Whigs strongly supported the Revolution but the Tories wanted Britain to continue its rule in the colonies.

The Treaty of Paris of 1783 The Treaty of Paris of 1783 granted the colonies the full right of independence and also granted them the land beyond the Appalachian Mountains (basically the treaty that confirmed independence).

__**The United States of America**__ __U.S. Politics at a Glance__

//Governmental Forms//

Articles of Confederation (AoC) The Articles of Confederation was the very first form of a federal government. While it had some rights such as: provided a legislative branch, one vote per state, two thirds vote for bills to pass - the AoC lacked much power to enforce taxation and build the army. Too much power was granted to the states because of the fear of a strong abusive federal power. - One remarkable achievement of the AoC however would be the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 which provided a defined process in the admission of new territories and ban all slavery in the newly acquired lands of the Northwest.



Constitution In order to address the problems of the Articles of Confederation and to actually grant practical political power to the federal government, the Constitution was created. First of all, it was designed to have a bicameral congress in its legislative branch, an executive branch led by the President, and the judicial branch compromised of the Supreme Court. It was also granted the right to tax states, request military forces, and to assure the protection of individual rights through the Bill of Rights in the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, 1787. - Virginia Plan vs. New Jersey Plan While Virginia wanted state votes based on population size, New Jersey wanted to limit state votes to two. So in the Connecticut Compromise, the senators were decided to be voted per state while representation in the House be based on population differences between states.

//Political Parties//


 * Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists/Democratic-Republicans (1780s~1815)

Federalists - Favored a strong central government - Loose interpretation of the Constitution - Favored large businesses based on New England - Ties with Britain

Anti-Federalists/Democratic-Republicans - Favored states' rights - Strict interpretation of the Constitution - Favored agriculture and the rural areas of the South - Ties with France

- The rivalry between the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans characterize American politics during the late 18th and early 19th century. Although the Federalists seem to dominate politics in the starting periods of the nation with the inauguration of President George Washington and John Adams, the Federalists slowly start to decline. As Thomas Jefferson and James Madison - Democratic-Republicans - became following Presidents, the Federalists start to lose power at the White House. With the beliefs of westward expansion and with a need for more arable land for farming (as the nation grew), the farmer and rural based Democratic-Republicans inevitably gain more support than the Federalists. Also, the public loses faith in the Federalists because of: the appointment of midnight judges and the Alien-Sedition Act of President John Adams - which were clearly violating the Constitution. Furthermore, a leading Federalist figure, Alexander Hamilton is shot dead by Aron Burr in a duel; the Federalists unexpectedly lose their main leader which also contributes to their decline in power. The War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain anger the Federalists and New Englanders to the point where session is discussed. The Hartford Convention is held to discuss the differing perspectives regarding session and war. As the Federalists greatly resented the war by calling it "Mr. Madison's War", political conflict seemed inevitable. Even though the Hartford Convention addressed some of the Federalists' grievances as the political power now rested upon the southern Democrats, the Federalists unfortunately never regained their lost political power in the end.
 * Who wins in the end?


 * Whigs vs. Democrats (1830s~1850)

Whigs - Use federal power in order to promote economic development through banks - Pushed towards temperance and public school reformations - Urban growth and free labor - Reformation & Modernization - Strong opposition to the Mexican War - Urbanization, commercial expansion

Democrats - Feared the growing power of banks and corporations (federal economic ties) - Jeffersonian agrarians (favored agriculture and rural life) - Territorial expansion & external growth - Tradition - Agrarianism, slavery, states' rights


 * Mid-19th Century (1840s)

Liberty Party - Nominated abolitionist James Birney in the Election of 1844 - Died out relatively quickly

Free Soil Party - Opposed to the future expansion of slavery (but not necessarily abolitionist) - Nominated Martin Van Buren as candidate - Lost support after the Compromise of 1850

Whigs (this party was split into two regarding slavery) - Northern faction: later became Free Soil or the Republican Party - Southern faction: later became the Democratic Party

American Party/Know-Nothing Party - Strong opposition to immigrants & temperance/reformation - Extremely conservative Nativists - Nominated Millard Fillmore - Eventually was brought in by the Republican Party

- First established in 1854 - Combination of: Democrats, Free Soilers, and Northern Whigs - Opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Bill - Opposed the expansion of slavery in new territories (but not necessarily abolitionist) - Nominated Abraham Lincoln later on but John Fremont became the first Republican candidate for the Election of 1856
 * Republican Party*

- The name of the Antebellum Era of the United States comes from the Latin origin meaning of "before war". Thus, the Antebellum Era refers to the Pre-Civil War periods. American politics during the Antebellum was more complex than the two party rivalry we have seen in the very early periods of the nation. As the Federalists die out, it eventually opens a way for other parties to come to a rise in the following decades. The early periods of the nation could be characterized between the northern and southern rivalry; this trend similarly continued on in the Antebellum period as well (but in different forms). The main controversy that leads onto the Civil War was the expansion of slavery. As the United States continued on its westward expansion with its Democratic Presidents, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Mexican War, more and more arable land for farming became available to the southern farmers. In order to grow cash crops such as cotton, black slaves were openly used in the southern states. Since the economy of the north (trading based) and south (farming based) were clearly different, the difference and rivalry was also shown through conflicts between parties. The Whig party eventually replaced the Federalists and reflected the opinions of the northern states. Northerners strongly opposed expansion because territorial expansion would increase the number of slave states in congress. Parties such as the Liberty Party, Free Soil Party, American Party show rather strong opposition to slavery. Along with the Whig Party, these (small) parties eventually die out and are later combined/represented as the Republican Party - which reflected northern politics.
 * Who wins in the end?

In the Election of 1860...
 * Republicans vs. Democrats

Republicans - Opposed to the expansion of slavery - Favored the Homestead Act & the Protective Tariffs & Transportation - Abraham Lincoln nominated

Democrats - Deep South walks out of the Union - South Carolina - Stephen Douglas: popular sovereignty - John Breckenridge nominated

In the Gilded Age...
 * Republicans vs. Democrats

- Both opposed to radical reformation - Both supported businesses - Republican dominate the Senate - Democrats dominate the House of Representatives - Large businesses dominate politics

In the Progressive Era (1900~1920)...

- Theodore Roosevelt (Republican), William Howard Taft (Republican), and Woodrow Wilson (Democrat) - Support for various social reformations - Reformation would counter corruption - Improved society in general - Various Amendments: 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th

In the Republican Era (1921~1933)...

- Harding (Republican), Coolidge (Republican), Hoover (Republican) - Pro-Business - Consumer oriented, urbanization, industrialization - Conservative: anti-immigration, prohibition

In the New Deal Era (1933~1952)...

- Democratic party dominates politics - starting from Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Acceptance of government involvement in various social reformation projects - New Deal --> Fair Deal of Harry S. Truman - Dixiecrats were extremely conservative southerners - The Progressive Party composed of relatively liberal Democrats who favored mild socialism and positive attitude towards Soviet Union
 * The Division of the Democrats


 * Republicans vs. Democrats (WWII)

Republicans - Dwight D. Eisenhower for President - Strong responses towards communism and Soviet Union

Democrats - Organized labor, immigrants - Nomination of Adlai Stevenson - "Big Government" roles

From Nixon to Reagan...
 * Republicans vs. Democrats

Republicans - Opposition to the Vietnam War - New Federalism: Cut down federal power and distribute those powers to the states and people - "New Right"

Democrats - Liberal in social issues - Environmental legislations introduced - Improvements in women's rights

//General Political Trends//

[Big Government + Big Business + Anti-Slavery --> Turning Point (After 1896) --> Big Government + Small Business]
 * Federalist --> Whig --> Republican (1854) --> Turning Point (After 1896) --> Democratic

[Small Government + Small Business + Pro-Slavery --> Turning Point (After 1896) --> Small Government + Big Business]
 * Anti-Federalist / Democratic Republican (1792) --> National Republican & Democratic (1828) --> Democratic (1854) --> Turning Point (After 1896) --> Republican

!!! But Theodore Roosevelt was an exception... !!!

__**Citations**__

American Political Development - Dave Robertson http://www.umsl.edu/~robertsondb/sy431bib.html

United States Politics History - U.S. Politics Guide http://www.uspoliticsguide.com/American_Political_Directory/US_Politics_History.php

The History Guy - United States National Politics and Government http://www.historyguy.com/CivicsSite.html

Wikipedia - Political Parties in the United States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_parties_in_the_United_States

Copernicus Election Watch - Politics http://www.edgate.com/elections/inactive/the_parties/