Who can best explain why the blacks in majority switch parties after Abe the Republican saved them?

Answer 1

Forgetting the oversimplification of "Abe the Republican saved them," it is true that in the first generations after emancipation, black voters (those who could in fact vote) were overwhelmingly Republican.
Two things changed.
First, the Democratic Party, specifically during the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt, began to support equal rights more vigorously, and thus began attracting black voters. Presidents Truman, Kennedy and Johnson solidified this trend by standing firmly on the side of the civil rights movement.
Second, the Republican Party, which had been formed as an anti-slavery party, began to back away from its historical support for equality. The landmark moment was when Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, a diehard segregationist, left the Democrats and joined the Republicans. By 1968, Richard Nixon was pursuing the so-called "Southern Strategy" to win the votes of white Southerners by appealing to their opposition to Democratic civil rights policies.
Since then, the once solidly Democratic South has tended to vote strongly Republican.
Essentially, the roles of the two parties were reversed over the course of the 20th Century, not just on issues of race but in other areas as well. The founders of the Republican Party would not recognize the GOP of today; same for the Democrats of the 1800s.


(later) Grips---as an FYI, the Republican Party was founded in 1854 and fielded its first presidential candidate--John C. Fremont--in the 1856 election. He lost to Democrat James Buchanan.

Answer 2

The political parties' beliefs have changed since 1860. If fact, I think the 1860 election was the first presidential election that had a Republican running. Whe blacks got the right to vote I'm sure a lot supported the Republican Party. However, many blacks weren't allowed to vote until the 1950's and 1960's because of Jim Crow laws.

Back in the 40's, 50's and 60's most southern states were democratic party leaning. In the 70's and 80's most went Rebublican. Again different issues came up and people support the party that support the issues they are interested in.

Answer 3

The blacks didn't switch, the parties did. In Lincoln's day, the republicans were the liberals. They wanted government projects, more federal control, and wanted to restrict, and in some cases abolish slavery. The democrats were for state's rights, pro-rural policies, and slavery (for the most part).

Later on, Republicans became the pro-business, low tax party. Democrats became the pro- big gov't party with FDR. Now, the democrats are far more like Lincoln's republicans than the Republican party. The republicans still retain their pro-business, anti-regulation, and libertarian wings, but they have added to their ranks white religious conservatives that used to be a wing of the democrats. So now, the parties are pretty evenly split.

Answer 4

For decades--nearly a century, blacks overwhelmingly voted Republican--where they were allowed to vote at all.

But, in the 1960s, when the civil rights movement started and the Jim Crow laws were challenged, it was the mainstream Democratic party (minus the southern Democrats) who supported them. The Republicans did not--they chose to side with the segregationsts. In so betraying not only blacks but also their own heritage, the GOP lost the support of the black community.

But if your a republican, cheer up. You get a consolation prize to assuage your guilt: now you have the support of the skinheads, Minutemen, and KKK. Alas, you ARE known by the company you keep.

Answer 5

A lot has to do with what blacks' perceptions are of the Democrats.

The modern Democratic party benefits from people in general thinking that they are victims and that they will help them. This is the source of their power. If people are doing well in their lives, then there is no need for big government, hence no need for the Democratic party. Human nature being what it is dictates us to take the path of least resistance.

It's too bad blacks don't realize that Democrats treat them as if they are incapable of taking care of themselves.

They obviously don't get it, or why would they keep believing in the party that does not believe in them?

Answer 6

there is no racism interior the Republican occasion! i'm no longer a brilliant fan of George Bush, yet he has appointed greater African American human beings to the utmost ranges of government than the different president. The Democratic occasion makes use of race as a gadget to win electorate. Republicans beleive that the suited help for persons is while they help themselves! Ronald reagan stated the the a number of scariest words to hearken to are "i'm from the government and that i'm right here to help! I hate racism. I wasn't component of it, my kin wasn't a factor of it, and the republican occasion isn't a factor of it! I observed greater racism interior the Democratic primaries via some distance!

Answer 7

The Republican Party sold out after the Comprimise of 1877, in which they agreed to stop all that reconstruction and civil rights progress in order to let Rutherford B. Hayes become president after Samuel Tilden technically won the election.

Answer 8

Ummm... many inner city poor, including blacks, have been taught that the government will take care of them, even if they don't make an effort to work.

The Democrats play on this by supporting these programs (keeping these people poor and vassals to the system) and by scaring them that the mean Republicans are going to take away your benefits.

So, the poor--given a choice--continue to vote for the people who give them money...

Answer 9

Because Republicans, in that day were the liberals of their time...They were the party that focused on the oppressed and taking care of the poor......

Things have changed.....Republicans are now conservative (though that is certainly debatable since they have grown the government to its largest size in history and have spent more than any government in history).

The party changed....so its followers changed too....

Answer 10

i learned in school and at the church i went to when i lived with the davis' that it is because of FDR in the 1930s and 1940s.

he did a lot to help and then came Mr. Kennedy and so or people have mostly voted democrat ever since but before it was republican yes