"Soon to be nominated as well by America’s Party, and, Lord willing, the American Independent Party."
US political parties, from the beginning consisted of:
- Normally a majority, Southern-based anti-federalists became the anti-Administration party, became Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans who became Jacksonian Democrats.
- Usually the minority, Northern-based Federalists became Whigs who became Republicans.
But both parties had significant support outside their base areas -- Southern Democrats allied with Northern big-city immigrants, making them a majority, while Northern Whigs allied with non-slaveholding Southerners.
Southern Whigs included conservative professionals, entrepreneurs & planters.
They favored supremacy of Congress, spending for infrastructure (roads & canals), a national bank and protective tariffs.
But in the 1850s slavery split both parties, north to south, beginning with the old Whigs.
By 1856, Northern Whigs became the anti-slavery Republican party.
Southern Whigs largely joined the anti-immigrant American Party ("Know Nothings"), and in 1860 voted for John Bell's Constitutional Union party -- they were unionists.
And many old Southern Whigs remained Unionists throughout the Civil War.
In 1860, Democrats also split north to south, which helped give the minority northern Republicans electoral victory.
Southern Jeffersonian Democrats vs. Northern John Adams Federalists / Whigs / Republicans:
