Date of Award

Summer 1989

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

Committee Director

Peter C. Stewart

Committee Member

Harold Wilson

Committee Member

James R. Sweeney

Call Number for Print

Special Collections LD4331.H47 K67

Abstract

The Second American Party System developed in Virginia from the factions contesting the presidency between 1824 and 1840. Following its formation, Virginia voters adopted party allegiances and regularly supported their party in the various local, state and national elections. These voting patterns began to change with the elections of the compromise crisis, the period between the presidential elections of 1848 and 1852, when the "politics of slavery" dominated every contest. Defense of the peculiar institution became paramount and party lines were disrupted as a result. Virginia's Whig congressional candidates, unable to present themselves as safe on the slavery question, were no longer serious competitors for the Democrats. By 1853, the demise of the Second American Party System was well underway in Virginia. Source materials for the study include contemporary manuscripts, newspapers and government documents. Election statistics and census data were used to examine the decline of the Second American Party System and the impact of the issue of slavery on Virginia politics.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

10.25777/yfw9-d463

Download

Share

COinS