Throughout United States history there have been several political parties that emerged. During this history, we have seen the two-party system constantly evolve until it is at its current state.

Federalist Party

The Federalist Party is where we see the formation of the two-party system.

The Federalist Party, whose most prominent members were President John Adams and Secretary Alexander Hamilton, main platform was based on the formation of an economic system with strong fiscal roots (Ramos 2009). Federalists believed in diversifying the economy by creating a stable currency, encouraging investment, and industrializing through the creation of a strong National Bank (Ramos 2009). The Federalist Party believed that the wealthiest and educated white men should be the ones governing the country, with a fear that working-class citizens would be corrupted with power (Ramos 2009). While George Washington never officially joined a political party, historians generally agree that he was a member of the Federalist Party because of his policies. Upon the conclusion of the War of 1812, the Federalist Party ceased to exist due to lack of support for the war and other parties forming (Ramos 2009).

Democratic-Republican Party

The fall of the Federalist Party left only one other party in existence, the Democratic-Republican Party. Some of the most prominent members of the party were President Thomas Jefferson and President James Madison. They did not see any benefit in expanding the economy or becoming a more industrialized country, instead believing the United States should stay an agricultural economy. They thought that all adult white men should be able to vote and hold elected office as long as they owned a small amount of property (Democratic-Republican Party n.d). During the mid-1820s the Democratic-Republican Party reformed itself emerging into different parties.

National Republican Party

During a period of transition between parties there emerged the National Republican Party, which had a very small following but was able to elect President John Quincy-Adams, running under the Democratic-Republican Party banner (Feller n.d). In the election of 1824, then-Secretary John Quincy Adams made a backroom deal with Representative Henry Clay to gain support from the National Republican Party, ultimately launching Quincy Adams to the presidency. Upon the conclusion of the election, the National Republican Party separated into the next iteration of the two-party system.

Democratic Party

One of the current political parties, the Democratic Party, saw its beginning back in 1828 when the Democratic-Republican Party officially changed its name. They fought for the territorial expansion of the United States as well as keeping slavery legal throughout the new territories. Following the Civil War, the Democratic Party believed in the expansion of slavery, which is not the same position the current party has (Democratic Party n.d). The change in party beliefs and platforms started to occur in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, starting to form into the modern-day Democratic Party. At the time, the Republican Party was pro-U.S. and anti-immigrant pushing immigrants towards the Democrats. The twentieth century saw Democrats supporting social safety programs for struggling Americans and a strong federal government that helped all residents of the United States (Democratic Party n.d). During the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement, the Democratic Party took positions of helping poorer Americans with social support programs to boost the economy as well as abolishing Jim Crow laws. The twentieth century is when the Democratic Party started to take stances more in line with that of the current party.

Whig Party

The Whig Party started in opposition to Andrew Jackson in 1839. They believed that President Jackson was acting like a king with unchecked powers, hence the name Whig – the name of those who opposed British colonialism. They also believed in a national infrastructure plan, building roads and highways (Bomboy 2020). They nominated William Henry Harrison to be their candidate for president, eventually winning enough electoral college votes to win the presidency. After a month in office, President Henry Harrison died and Vice President John Tyler assumed the presidency. He was extremely unliked within the party because of his former ties to the Democratic Party – many of the policies he implemented were favorable to the Democrats – he eventually was kicked out of the party (Bomboy 2020). During the 1840s and 1850s, the factions of the Whig Party grew further apart on the issue of slavery, eventually pulling the party apart enough for it to disappear. 

Republican Party

The other current political party, founded in 1854, is the Republican Party, also known as the G.O.P. or “Grand Old Party.” The Republican Party formed because of the divide within the Whig Party over the Kansas-Nebraska Act – the act which admitted Kansas and Nebraska into the Union but also made landmark decisions on slavery (Republican Party n.d). Northern Whigs ended up uniting with the Free Soil Party to create the Republican Party (Republican Party n.d). The party opposed slavery but also believed that the federal government could not end slavery in places where it already existed. This policy caused states to secede and led to the Civil War (Republican Party n.d). Upon the conclusion of the Civil War, the Republican Party became the dominant party for the next fifty years (Republican Party n.d). The party saw much of their support coming from the North as well as Southern Blacks. Republicans were the ones who passed the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, known as the “Civil War” amendments, giving Blacks more rights and abolishing slavery as well as establishing voting rights for more people (Republican Party n.d). Republicans also believed in a strong centralized government that had authority over the states but favored a smaller government that played a limited role in the people’s lives. Towards the end of the 1800s, people started to view the Republican Party as the party of the upper class and less of the working class (Republican Party n.d). They became more progressive during the early years of the 1900s, trying to gain back support from the working people. President Eisenhower helped to modernize the party by fighting for equal rights for women and the Black community (Republican Party n.d). It was not until President Reagan was elected that the Republican Party started to resemble the current GOP, working to reduce the size of the federal government and focusing mainly on foreign policy (Republican Party n.d).