National Republican Party Explained

National Republican Party
Lang1:Other
Name Lang1:Adams-Clay Republicans
Adams's Men
Anti-Jacksonians
Leader:John Quincy Adams
Henry Clay
Colors: Buff
Split:Democratic-Republican Party
Predecessor:Democratic-Republican Party
Federalist Party
Merged:Whig Party
Country:the United States

The National Republican Party, also known as the Anti-Jacksonian Party or simply Republicans,[1] was a political party in the United States which evolved from a conservative-leaning faction of the Democratic-Republican Party that supported John Quincy Adams in the 1824 presidential election.

Known initially as "Adams-Clay Republicans" in the wake of the 1824 campaign, Adams's political allies in Congress and at the state-level were referred to as "Adams's Men" during his presidency (1825–1829). When Andrew Jackson became president, following his victory over Adams in the 1828 election, this group became the opposition, and organized themselves as "Anti-Jackson". The use of the term "National Republican" dates from 1830.

Henry Clay was the party's nominee in the 1832 election, but was defeated by Jackson. The party supported Clay's American System of nationally financed internal improvements and a protective tariff. After the 1832 election, opponents of Jackson coalesced into the Whig Party. National Republicans, Anti-Masons and others joined the new party.

History

Before the election of John Quincy Adams to the presidency in 1825, the Democratic-Republican Party, which had been the only national American political party for over a decade, began to fracture, losing its infrastructure and identity. Its caucuses no longer met to select candidates because now they had separate interests. After the 1824 election, factions developed in support of Adams and in support of Andrew Jackson. Adams politicians, including most ex-Federalists (such as Daniel Webster and Adams himself), would gradually become members of the National Republican Party; and those politicians that supported Jackson would later help form the modern Democratic Party.

After Adams's defeat in the 1828 election, his supporters regrouped around Henry Clay. Now the "anti-Jackson" opposition, they soon organized as the National Republican Party. Led by Clay, the new party maintained its historic nationalistic outlook and desired to use national resources to build a strong economy. Its platform was Clay's American System of nationally financed internal improvements and a protective tariff, which would promote faster economic development. More important, by binding together the diverse interests of the different regions, the party intended to promote national unity and harmony.

The National Republicans saw the Union as a corporate, organic whole. Hence, the rank and file idealized Clay for his comprehensive perspective on the national interest. Conversely, they disdained those they identified as "party" politicians for pandering to local interests at the expense of the national interest.[2] The party met in national convention in late 1831 and nominated Clay for the presidency and John Sergeant for the vice presidency.

Formation of the Whig Party

The Whig Party emerged in 1833–1834 after Clay's defeat as a coalition of National Republicans, along with Anti-Masons, disaffected Jacksonians and people whose last political activity had been with the Federalists a decade before. In the short term, the Whig Party formed with the help of other smaller parties in a coalition against President Jackson and his reforms.

National Republican presidents

John Quincy Adams was the only president to come from the National Republican Party.

Electoral history

Presidential tickets

ElectionTicketPopular voteElectoral vote
Presidential nomineeRunning matePercentageclass=unsortable Electoral votesRanking
1828John Quincy AdamsRichard Rush44.02
1832Henry ClayJohn Sergeant37.42

Congressional representation

See also: Party divisions of United States Congresses.

CongressYearsSenate[3] House of Representatives[4] President
TotalPro-JacksonPro-AdamsOthersVacanciesTotalPro-JacksonPro-AdamsOthersVacancies
19th1825–1827482622213104109 rowspan=2 John Quincy Adams[5]
20th1827–1829482721213113100
CongressYearsTotalPro-JacksonAnti-JacksonOthersVacanciesTotalPro-JacksonAnti-JacksonOthersVacanciesPresident
21st1829–1831482523213136725 rowspan=4 Andrew Jackson
22nd1831–183348242222131266621
23rd1833–183548202622401436334
24th1835–183752262422421437524

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. News: State Journal - Google News Archive Search . 15 January 2021 . news.google.com . III. 6 . E. Lawrence . Oct 12, 1837.
  2. Book: Brown, Thomas. 1985. Politics and Statesmanship: Essays on the American Whig Party. New York. Columbia University Press. 9780231056021. 906445960. 20.
  3. Web site: Party Division . United States Senate.
  4. Web site: Party Divisions of the House of Representatives, 1789 to Present . United States House of Representatives.
  5. Adams won election as a Democratic-Republican, but he sought re-election as a National Republican.