Organization of the Democratic Party in the United States

Background. The Democratic-Republican Party splintered in 1824 into the short-lived National Republican Party and the Jacksonian movement, which in 1828 became the Democratic Party. After the 1824 election, Jackson's supporters immediately began planning a 1828 campaign, and the party fractured during Adams's presidency. The source describes the Era of Good Feelings as lasting from 1816 until 1828, when Andrew Jackson became president; his inauguration, however, occurred on March 4, 1829, so the 1828 dating reflects the source's framing of the era's end rather than a precise occurrence date.

Party Organization. Jackson and his followers coalesced into a structured party for the 1828 election. The party's birth is often marked by Jackson's campaign launch on January 8, 1828, or the creation of a federal structure for Jacksonian movements. Historians debate whether the foundation date is the campaign launch or the earlier formation of these groups.

Campaign Dynamics. The 1828 campaign featured extensive mudslinging, with both parties attacking the opposing candidate's personal qualities. Jackson dominated the South and West, aided in part by the passage of the Tariff of 1828. Jackson and his followers, who had accused Clay and Adams of a "corrupt bargain" after the 1824 election, continued to lambaste the president through the 1828 campaign. Jacksonians had also bolstered their numbers in Congress in the 1826 congressional elections, with Andrew Stevenson chosen as Speaker in 1827.