Compare and Contrast the Evolution of the Major Political Parties In the United States and Britain since 1850, Accounting for their period of ascendancy and decline

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Name:        Clare Campbell Harding

Date:                Tuesday, 22nd October 2002

Module:        HY39820

Lecturer:        Professor William Rubinstein

Essay Title:        

COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE EVOLUTION OF THE MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN SINCE 1850, ACCOUNTING FOR THEIR PERIOD OF ASCENDANCY AND DECLINE.

Since 1850 there have been great political changes in both Great Britain and the United States.  Political parties have been founded and have dissolved, and parties’ views have changed - some quite dramatically.  In both Great Britain and America there are many political parties, but only two in each country are likely to ‘lead’ their nation.  In America the Democratic National Committee rival the Republicans and in Britain the Conservative Party oppose the Labour Party.  However there is also a tertiary party in Great Britain called the Liberal Democrats, led by Charles Kennedy, who is fighting to join the same ‘league’ as Labour and the Conservatives.

The Republicans and the Democrats have been fighting for supremacy without interruption for 150 years, before that the American Whigs were a major party.  Founded in 1844 and led by National Republicans and ex-Federalists the American Whig Party was on a par with the Democrats in the 1840’s.  The party stood for ‘positive liberal state’, where the government would subsidise and/or protect enterprises which contributed to economic growth.  The Democrats, on the other hand, stood for ‘negative liberal state’ whereby the government would keep out of the economy.  The Whigs primary concerns were to promote internal improvements, such as roads, canals and train lines.  Many Westerners favoured this as they were quite isolated.  However after the birth of the Republican Party in 1854, many Whigs deserted their party in favour of the new anti-slavery Republicans.  The Know-Nothing Party also appealed to Whigs for its anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic views.  The American Whig Party disbanded in 1856.

In 1792 Thomas Jefferson founded the Democratic Party and in 1848 the name was officially changed to the Democratic National Committee.  In 1852 Franklin Pierce was elected President, with William R. King as his Vice-President.  Both men were democrats.  With a civil war on the horizon, social and political views were quick to change in the 1850’s, with President Franklin having to appeal to the Northern Free-Soilers and the Southern slave owners for votes.

The Tory Party led Great Britain through the 1850’s, however if was not an easy time.  Lord Palmerston, the Tory leader in 1850, had caused problems with Queen Victoria by sending important messages before consulting her, one of which was to Louis Napoleon Bonaparte.  Palmerston was forced to resign over his carelessness and soon after joined the Liberal Party, only to be re-elected Prime Minister in 1855.  Conservatism did very well in the early 1850’s elections, and in 1852 Conservatives had the majority in 125 counties, out of 180.

                “The fact remains that Conservative strength was largely based on the areas where

traditional rural influences prevailed, and that the party was weakest in those where

new industrialism was dominant.”

Expansion and modernisation has always forced political parties to change their views to keep up with the times, however when and how a party changes its policies is very important.  In the 1850’s the Conservatives appealed to traditionalists, but under the leadership of Benjamin Disraeli the party modernised itself and established the National Union in 1867, which organised “working class support for the government”i, and the Central Office in 1870.  Disraeli gained new voters from the industrial towns and cities because of these changes.

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The Republican Party produced their first president Abraham Lincoln, who served for 2 terms beginning in 1860.  Lincoln played a huge part in ridding America of its slaves by signing the Emancipation Proclamation, the Thirteenth Amendment (which made slavery illegal), the Fourteenth Amendment (which guaranteed equal protection) and the Fifteenth Amendment (which helped to secure voting rights for African-Americans).  In 1861 the American Civil War began, and the President had something to do with the cause.  Lincoln was anti-slavery and the Southern states were pro-slavery - slaves were imperative for agricultural production.  This caused the secession of 7 states from ...

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