1858? We know that all the attendees of the slave auction were Democrats, just like you and koan...
Before the Civil War (early 1800s–1860) - Democrats:
- The Democratic Party (founded by Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren in the 1820s) was the party of the “common man” — but in the South, that included slaveholding planters.
- Southern Democrats became the strongest defenders of slavery, arguing it was essential to their economy and way of life.
- Most of the secessionist leaders (Jefferson Davis, etc.) were Democrats.
- Republicans:
- The Republican Party was founded in the 1850s as an anti-slavery-expansion party (not originally abolitionist everywhere, but against slavery spreading into new U.S. territories).
- Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, was elected in 1860 on a platform that opposed the expansion of slavery — which triggered Southern states to secede.
Bottom line: In the antebellum period, Democrats (especially Southern Democrats) were much more directly tied to slavery, while Republicans emerged in opposition.
Civil War and Reconstruction (1861–1877) - Republicans: Led the Union, passed the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments (ending slavery, granting citizenship, and protecting voting rights). They were the party of emancipation.
- Democrats: The Democratic Party, especially in the South, opposed these measures. Many white Democrats became part of groups resisting Reconstruction (like the Ku Klux Klan).
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