Left: Modern Democratic Icon; Right: Old Whig meeting poster
Through out the many years of service the Democratic party went though, they went through a lot of changes, each in which changed as a major event occurred. The changes has changed it throughout its history, splitting it up to what we know it as today. The party first started out in 1795 or 1796, it was introduced as the “Republican party”; they all voted for the “republican ticket” or for the “republican way”. In 1800, there was a revolution in the party, where the party had two candidates, Jefferson and Aaron Burr, in which each voted for equally. They had to choose one, so in return Hamilton, believing that Burr would not be a good choice for president, let Jefferson win. This decision eventually lead to a move that would result to the fall of the Federalist Party including Hamilton's death. Four years later, Hamilton died at the hands of Burr in a pistol duel.
The party was split into two parties in 1824, one in which was the “Democratic Party” as we know today. The other was the National Republicans, which evolved into the Whig party. Thomas Jefferson wrote on the state of party politics in the early 1820s:“An opinion prevails that there is no longer any distinction, that the republicans & Federalists are completely amalgamated but it is not so. The amalgamation is of name only, not of principle. All indeed call themselves by the name of Republicans, because that of Federalists was extinguished in the battle of New Orleans. But the truth is that finding that monarchy is a desperate wish in this country, they rally to the point which they think next best, a consolidated government. Their aim is now therefore to break down the rights reserved by the constitution to the states as a bulwark against that consolidation, the fear of which produced the whole of the opposition to the constitution at its birth. Hence new Republicans in Congress, preaching the doctrines of the old Federalists, and the new nick-names of Ultras and Radicals. But I trust they will fail under the new, as the old name, and that the friends of the real constitution and union will prevail against consolidation, as they have done against monarchism. I scarcely know myself which is most to be deprecated, a consolidation, or dissolution of the states. The horrors of both are beyond the reach of human foresight.”. Thomas Jefferson saw the new party failing to spit apart from the main party, and was not following by the parties guidelines. In which the Whig party eventually dissolved in 1856.
The party changed even further throughout history as big events happened such as wars and the great depression. I certainly thought that this was cool,especially the fact of the tie in with history between Hamilton's pistol duel, even if you may have known everything beforehand.
