The Democratic and Republican Parties have not always had the same ideals that they have today. In fact, America’s two dominant political parties have essentially flipped ideologies in the time since they were founded. The Democratic Party was founded in 1828 while the Republican Party dates back to 1854. In its early years, the Republican Party was considered quite liberal, while the Democrats were known for staunch conservatism. Th is is the exact opposite of how each party would be described today. This change did not happen overnight, however. Instead, it was a slow set of changes and policies that caused the great switch. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Republicans controlled the majority of northern states. Th e party sought to expand the United States, encouraged settlement of the west, and helped to fund the transcontinental railroad and state universities. Additionally, because of growing tension over slavery, many Republicans became abolitionists who argued against slavery. Democrats represented a range of views but shared a commitment to Thomas Jefferson’s concept of an agrarian (farming) society. They viewed the central government as the enemy of individual liberty. Be-cause most Democrats were in southern states, they fought to keep slavery legal. As the war came to a close, the Republican Party controlled the government and used its power to protect formerly enslaved people and guarantee them civil rights. Th is included the three Reconstruction Amendments, which won Republicans the loyalty (and vote) of America’s Black population. Unsurprisingly, most Democrats disapproved of these measures. However, a change had begun in the Republican Party following the Civil War. Northern industrialists had grown rich from the war, and many entered politics afterwards. These new wealthy politicians did not see much sense in supporting the rights of Black Americans when the nation was still largely white. By the 1870s, many in the Republican Party felt that they had done enough for Black citizens and stopped all efforts to reform the southern states. The south was left to the white Democrats and their oppressive policies towards Black citizens aft er the Compromise of 1877 ended Reconstruction. […]

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