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How did the Democratic Party begin?

The Democratic Party was founded for the purpose of electing Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) to the presidency in 1800. His opponent was Alexander Hamilton (1809–1865), the Federalist Party candidate. Then called the Democrat-Republicans, the party favored personal liberty and a limited federal government. After successfully electing Jefferson to office, the Democrat-Republicans went on to put candidates in the White House for the next twenty-five years. In 1828 they became known simply as Democrats. Depending on how one counts, there have been either eighteen or nineteen Democratic presidents. There is some question about how to list Andrew Johnson (1808–1875), who became president after the death of Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865). Johnson was a Democrat before joining the National Union Party ticket as the vice presidential candidate in 1864; he is often listed as both a Democrat...

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