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
Populists—Omaha 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!