HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
At the start of the 21st Century, the
Democratic Party can look back on a proud history — a history not just
of a political organization but of a national vision. It is a vision based
on the strength and power of millions of economically empowered, socially
diverse and politically active Americans. Over two hundred years ago, our
Party's founders decided that wealth and social status were not an
entitlement to rule. They believed that wisdom and compassion could be
found within every individual and a stable government must be built upon a
broad popular base.
The late Ron Brown — former Chairman of
the Democratic Party — put it best when he wrote, "The common
thread of Democratic history, from Thomas Jefferson to Bill Clinton, has
been an abiding faith in the judgment of hardworking American families,
and a commitment to helping the excluded, the disenfranchised and the poor
strengthen our nation by earning themselves a piece of the American Dream.
We remember that this great land was sculpted by immigrants and slaves,
their children and grandchildren."
Thomas Jefferson founded the Democratic
Party in 1792 as a congressional caucus to fight for the Bill of Rights
and against the elitist Federalist Party. In 1798, the "party of the
common man" was officially named the Democratic-Republican Party and
in 1800 elected Jefferson as the first Democratic President of the United
States. Jefferson served two distinguished terms and was followed by James
Madison in 1808. Madison strengthened America's armed forces — helping
reaffirm American independence by defeating the British in the War of
1812. James Monroe was elected president in 1816 and led the nation
through a time commonly known as "The Era of Good Feeling" in
which Democratic-Republicans served with little opposition.
The election of John Quincy Adams in 1824
was highly contested and led to a four-way split among
Democratic-Republicans. A result of the split was the emergence of Andrew
Jackson as a national leader. The war hero, generally considered — along
with Jefferson — one of the founding fathers of the Democratic Party,
organized his supporters to a degree unprecedented in American history.
The Jacksonian Democrats created the national convention process, the
party platform, and reunified the Democratic Party with Jackson's
victories in 1828 and 1832. The Party held its first National Convention
in 1832 and nominated President Jackson for his second term. In 1844, the
National Convention simplified the Party's name to the Democratic Party.
In 1848, the National Convention
established the Democratic National Committee, now the longest running
political organization in the world. The Convention charged the DNC with
the responsibility of promoting "the Democratic cause" between
the conventions and preparing for the next convention.
As the 19th Century came to a close, the
American electorate changed more and more rapidly. The Democratic Party
embraced the immigrants who flooded into cities and industrial centers,
built a political base by bringing them into the American mainstream, and
helped create the most powerful economic engine in history. Democratic
Party leader William Jennings Bryan led a movement of agrarian reformers
and supported the right of women's suffrage, the progressive graduated
income tax and the direct election of Senators. As America entered the
20th Century, the Democratic Party became dominant in local urban
politics.
In 1912, Woodrow Wilson became the first
Democratic president of the 20th Century. Wilson led the country through
World War I, fought for the League of Nations, established the Federal
Reserve Board, and passed the first labor and child welfare laws.
A generation later, Franklin Roosevelt was
elected president running on the promise of a New Deal. Roosevelt pulled
America out of the Depression by looking beyond the Democratic base and
energizing citizens around the belief that their government could actively
assist them in times of need. Roosevelt's New Deal brought water to
California's Central Valley, electrified Appalachia and saved farms across
the Midwest. The Civilian Conservation Corps, the WPA and Social Security
all brought Americans into the system, freeing us from fear, giving us a
stake in the future, making the nation stronger.
With the election of Harry Truman,
Democrats began the fight to bring down the final barriers of race and
gender. Truman integrated the military and oversaw the reconstruction of
Europe by establishing the Marshall Plan and the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization. Truman's leadership paved the way for civil rights leaders
who followed.
In the 1960s, President John F. Kennedy
challenged an optimistic nation to build on its great history. Kennedy
proclaimed a New Frontier and dared Americans to put a man on the moon,
created the Peace Corps, and negotiated a treaty banning atmospheric
testing of nuclear weapons. Lyndon Johnson followed Kennedy's lead and
worked to pass the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act. Kennedy and
Johnson worked together to end the practice of segregation in many
southern states. Following Kennedy's assassination, Johnson declared a War
on Poverty and formed a series of Great Society programs, including the
creation of Medicare — ensuring that older Americans would receive
quality health care.
In 1976, Jimmy Carter was elected
president, helping to restore the nation's trust in government following
the Watergate scandal. Among other things, Carter negotiated the historic
Camp David peace accords between Egypt and Israel.
In 1992, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton was
elected the 42nd President of the United States. President Clinton ran on
the promise of a New Covenant for America's forgotten working families.
After twelve years of Republican presidents, America faced record budget
deficits, high unemployment, and increasing crime. President Clinton's
policies put people first and resulted in the longest period of economic
expansion in peacetime history. The Deficit Reduction Act of 1993 —
passed by both the House and Senate without a single Republican vote —
put America on the road to fiscal responsibility and led to the end of
perennial budget deficits. Having inherited a $290 billion deficit in
1992, President Clinton's last budget was over $200 billion in surplus.
The Clinton/Gore Administration was responsible for reducing unemployment
to its lowest level in decades and reducing crime to its lowest levels in
a generation. In 1996, President Clinton became the first Democratic
president reelected since Roosevelt in 1996. In 1998, Democrats became the
first party controlling the White House to gain seats in Congress during
the sixth year of a president's term since 1822.
In the 2000 elections, Democrats netted 4
additional Senate seats, one additional House seat, and one additional
gubernatorial seat. Vice President Al Gore won the popular vote for
President by more than 500,000 votes. In 2001, Democrats regained control
of the Senate under Majority Leader Tom Daschle, while Democrats swept to
victory in races all across the country, including races for Virginia
Governor and Lt. Governor, New Jersey Governor, and 39 out of 42 major
mayoral races including Los Angeles and Houston.
While we have accomplished a great deal —
as a nation and a Party, we must continue to move forward in the 21st
Century. We must work to incorporate all Americans into the fabric of our
nation. The history of our next hundred years can be seen in the gorgeous
mosaic of America, from the wheat fields of Nebraska to the barrios of New
York City, from the mountains of Colorado to the rocky coast of Maine. The
Democratic Party is America's last, best hope to bridge the divisions of
class, race, region, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation. We will
succeed if we continue to govern by the same principles that have made
America the greatest nation on earth — the principles of strength,
inclusion and opportunity. The Democratic Party is ready to take advantage
of the opportunities we have and meet the challenges we face. |
