With Henry Clay’s death and General Winfield Scott’s huge loss to Franklin Pierce, the Whig party came to an end in the 1850s. Before we introduce the Grand New Party, I’d like to pause and review the “Second Party System,” or the era of the Democrats and the Whigs.
Uhh, good luck, Democrats! I can't imagine how they will overcome the fired up base that William Henry Harrison built, especially after he cleans up the mess Van Buren left him. He will surely have the most successful presidential term ever! 1844, here we come!
By 1836, it was clear that the Jackson Revolution was here to stay. The Democrats had totally transformed American politics, specifically the electoral process! But could they benefit a candidate other than Andrew Jackson? Martin Van Buren was ready to put the party organization to the test.
The election of 1828 served as the white, rural laborer's revenge on the big-government establishment. While the Jackson years made a lot of other people’s lives worse, the recognition of popular vote was an area of progress. But now that he was in charge, Jackson had a lot of hype to live up to. Could he could hold it all together and earn another win?
In the first two decades of the 1800s, the Democratic-Republicans out-president'ed the Federalists so bad, they didn't even exist anymore. In the Era of Good Feelings, everyone belonged to the same party. But as James Monroe’s second term was ending, it was clear that the good feelings wouldn't last forever. That brings us to the most exciting election yet!
