The Third Party System

There were several other 3rd parties formed but never lasted too long and were eventually absorbed into another party. The issue of slavery caused the Whigs to fracture and evolve into the modern day Republican Party by absorbing several other 3rd parties. The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 started the third party system, and it also brought on the American Civil War. The war ravaged on for five years and made the election of 1864 difficult but Lincoln was able to win re-reelection by having a vice president who was a democrat and from the confederate State on Tennessee.
The Civil War eventually came to an end, but it did not end political divisions of Republicans and Democrats. The division of the parties became geographical in nature …show more content…
This amendment was overruled in an 1875 Supreme Court ruling in Minor v. Happersett, which declared that States had the right to declare who voters were per the Constitution and that the 14th amendment did not make citizens with equal rights, voters. Progressives supported suffrage and prohibition which also came into effect during this time. Prohibition was supported due to party bosses using drinking establishments for party activities which also helped increase their …show more content…
The South had been a Democratic stronghold for well over one hundred years. Both parties underwent a party alignment but not by geography but by ideology. Republicans became more conservative and Democrats became more liberal. This was especially after the start of the new century. Liberal and moderate Republicans mainly from the northeast became Democrats while conservative and moderate Democrats mainly from the south became Republicans (Hershey, 2015).
The current party system has seen an alignment on more than just passage of equal protection laws. Geography location does show a pattern but it is the opposite of the fifth party system. The realignment of the parties are effect by age, race, ethnicity, religion, and gender. A married white Christian male who is above 50 years old would most likely be Republican while a single black atheist woman who is 25 years old would most likely be a Democrat. People also tend to vote based on issues which will lead to a certain party over

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