What Caused the breakup of the Democratic-republican Party founded by Thomas Jefferson?

Question

Doing a social studies research project, and I cant seem to find the answer to this particular question.

Answer 1

Contra an earlier answer, there WAS a 'break up' in the 'Democratic-Republican' party --which was the ONLY real national party by the 1820s.

You might say that it was the end of the War of 1812 that caused, or at least set the stage, for the breakup of this party into two parties. Without the war, there was less to unite them --and there will ALWAYS be a tendency to divide in two over some major issues... new issues when the old ones have been resolved.

Also, not co-incidentally, Andrew Jackson's great success at the Battle of New Orleans at the end of the War of 1812 (technically AFTER it was over, but the U.S. hadn't yet gotten the news!) that provided the personality the split finally centered around.

In short, Andrew Jackson is the true founder of the modern Democratic party. And it was around this popular war hero, and the core issues he supported, that the (new) party took its new shape -- the key year = 1828.

Of course, the current Democratic party wishes to claim it goes directly back to the 'Democratic-Republican' party of Jefferson and Madison (though the party in those days was almost always called the "Republicans"). And there is some truth to that. But it is misleading. In fact, there grew up two main FACTIONS in this one national party. One, calling itself the National Republicans, was the party of Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams. The other group coalesced around Jackson. (Note that, when the Whig Party collapsed over Kansas-Nebraska in the 1850s--losing its southern branch-- northern Whigs and Free-Soil Democrats created the Republican Party in 1854, they specifically went back to the traditional name of Jefferson's party... and appealed to a part of the heritage of Jefferson and that party they believed they were maintaining or perhaps restoring.)

There were a number of issues that contributed to the break up of this one party into two wings. The National Republicans -- later the base of the "Whig" party that formed in opposition to Jackson's policies-- advocated the continuation of the National Bank (opposed and eventually destroyed by Jackson), and was much more interested in spending for national 'improvements'. beginning with roads and canals. The new Democrats were more the 'states rights' supporters. A careful look at the issues each group supported suggest the old Federalists were more at home with the Whigs, the old Jeffersonian Democrats more inclined toward Jackson's party. But it was not at all that simple. The nation and the issues had changed over time. In fact, EACH group continued to advocate SOME of the positions of the Jeffersonian Republicans, and not others.

But in any case the real divide centered around the elections of 1824 and 1828 and especially the PERSON of Andrew Jackson. Only after the election of Jackson did it become the "Democratic" party.

Not co-incidentally, the whole SYSTEM for choosing a presidential candidate changed at that time. The old caucus system colllapsed with the election of 1824. The new Jacksonian Democrats created the convention system that continues to be used (now by both major parties) to this day.

For this understanding, note the following dictionary entry:

Democratic Party
n. One of the two major political parties in the United States, owing its origin to a split in the Democratic-Republican Party under Andrew Jackson in 1828.
http://www.answers.com/topic/democratic-party

See also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_(United_States)#Origins:_1792-1828

And a brief overview of the election of 1828
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/26288/election_of_1828_the_return_of_andrew.html?all=articles

(For more info, you might do web searches on the presidential elections of 1824 and 1828, and on Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams.)

Answer 2

It did not break up, it is today just called the Democratic Party. The Republican Party of today is a completely different party being organized just before the Civil War.

Answer 3

Rivalries between members split the party apart

Answer 4

I don't know about that, but I do know that the Hartford Convention broke up the Federalist party.

Answer 5

your mom.