Political Parties, political terms—a refresher for AP US students

Tory—loyal to English gov’t in time of revolution; supporter of king’s authority

Patriot—loyal to those who seek redress of grievances, even if it means revolution

Federalist—supporter of growth of central (federal) government power; most powerful support in North and East

Anti- Federalist—support states rights, argued against constitution as written w/ a strong central gov’t, loos interpretation of const

Democratic Republican—favor protection of states rights, strict interpretation of constitution/federal power, strongest support in South

Kentucky (Jefferson of Virginia wrote it)and Virginia (written by Madison) resolutions claim states can nullify fed laws (Alien and Sedition Acts)

War Hawks—want war w/GB to gain Canada, defend American honor

Hartford convention—federalists labeled un patriotic for anti-war position (Jackson’s victory and Treaty of Ghent)
Era of good feelings—Republicans only party with power; nationalism, optimism, and good will dominate politics

Whig—Favor Clay’s American system, oppose immorality, vice and crime which some blame on immigrants

Democrats—favor local rule, limited gov’t, free trade, oppose nat’l bank, high tariffs, high land prices
Know Nothing—nativists, hostile to immigrants of German and Irish Catholic background. The American Party, whose members often responded “I know nothing” to political questions, mainly served to weaken the Whigs

Free Soiler—seek to keep territories for free white settlers only- “free soil, free labor, and free men”

Popular sovereignty—notion that territories can choose thru constitution whether or not to allow slavery

Constitutional Union—existed for 1860 election; former whigs, Know nothings, moderate democrats who fear a republican victory and its consequences; goal is to enforce laws and preserve the union

Republican—northern and western moderates who oppose slavery in the territories; content to allow it to exist in old slave states; only drew support from north

Crittenden compromise—slavery safe south of 36 30 line; Lincoln could not accept it due

to extension of slavery into territories

Radical republicans—championed civil rights for black Americans, fear reunited dem party power, sought to exclude confed leaders from gov’t, some favor women’s rights

Scalawag—southerners who joined republican party, usu former whigs who wanted economic development and peace between the sections of the country

Carpet baggers—northerners who moved south for econ gain, missionaries, teachers, and of course those who sought to exploit the situation for personal gain thru plunder

Spoilsmen—masters of the patronage game, giving jobs and favors to supporters

Waving the bloody shirt—link candidate with war heroism

National Grange movement—fight middlemen, railroads, and trusts

Ocala platform—supported direct election of us senators, low tariff rates, graduated income tax, banking system regulated by fed gov’t, inflationary monetary policy, federal storage of crops, federal loans

PopulistsOmaha Platform calls for direct pop elect of senators, unltd coinage of silver, graduated income tax, public ownership of rr, telegraph, telephone, loans for farmers, federal warehouses, 8-hour day for industrial workers; 1892 James Weaver of Iowa, 1896 prosilver democrats absorb their goals.

Cross of gold speech—William Jennings Bryan, 1896

Gold bug Democrats—split from democrats, loyal to Cleveland and gold standard

Laissez faire capitalism—free market economics

Social Darwinism—survival of the fittest, sociology and economics, rugged individualism, Horatio Alger

Bossism—Tweed ring, Tammany hall, tapping into the immigrant vote (democrats)

Gospel of wealth—with success comes philanthropy

Halfbreeds—republican cronies of James G Blaine

Mugwumps—those who did not play the patronage game; their “mugs” on one side of the fence, their “wumps” on the other

Stalwarts—republican cronies of NY Sen Roscoe Conkling

Gilded age presidents-- Hayes(R)-Garfield(R)-Arthur(R)-Cleveland(D)-Harrison (R)-Cleveland- and then  McKinley(R)

 

we’ll add more, of course, when we enter the 20th century!