Politics of the 1800’s

Whig PartyThe People’s Party,

1832-1856

• Pres. Election winners– William Henry Harrison (1840)

• Died of pneumonia• First President to die in office

– Zachary Taylor (1848)• Died from eating cherries and milk• Second President to die in office

• Belief in the Federal Government– Limit power of the individual

• Slavery divided the party– “Conscience Whigs” - Northerners joined the new

Republican Party

– “Cotton Whigs” - Southerners joined the Democratic Party

Free-Soil Party, 1848-1854"free soil, free speech, free labour, and free men"

• Anti-slavery sentiment• Goal: Keep slavery out of

the west (prevent the spread of slavery)

• Presidential Election losers– Martin Van Buren (1848)– John Parker (1852)

• Eventually folded as a party and joined the Republican Party in 1854

Know-Nothing

Party• American Party (1845-1856)• Know-Nothing Party – secrecy,

difficult to find out any information• Millard Fillmore

• Was Zachary Taylor’s VP; took over the Oval Office (1850-1853) after Taylor’s death

• Ran as the American Party candidate 1856 (lost)

• Party platform• Survival of the Union• Nativism (focus of party)

• Slavery divided the party in 1855

• Presidential elections– John C. Freemont

• First candidate, 1856 (lost)

– Abraham Lincoln• First Republican winner,

1860

• Opposed the spread of slavery, the K-N Act, and the Dred Scott decision

• Found support from northerners, abolitionists, eastern manufacturers, etc.

• Dominated politics from 1832-1860– Andrew Jackson, 1829-1837– Martin Van Buren, 1837-1841– James K. Polk, 1845-1849– Franklin Pierce, 1853-1857– James Buchanan, 1857-1861

• As a national party, they had a weak stance on slavery. In 1860, slavery ended up dividing the party.– Northern Democrats nominating Stephen Douglas– Southern Democrats choosing John C. Breckinridge