To some extent, the Whigs were the natural successors of the Federalist Party of John Adams, second President of the United States. They favored commerce and manufacture over agriculture, believed in a more centralized system of government, and harbored a deep distrust of unchecked democracy, which they saw as potentially...
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leading to tyranny.
Whigs tended to represent the political and economic interests of the social elite, especially those on the East coast who saw themselves as the natural leaders of society. But they also established a firm base of support among the emerging middle-class, who were becoming an increasingly important segment of society both politically and economically.
All of these characteristics set the Whigs apart from the Democrats. Under Andrew Jackson, the Democrats became the champions of a form of agrarian populism, which sought to protect the little guy and his interests from bankers and plutocrats, who were frequently demonized in Democratic propaganda as using their wealth and power to crush small farmers and tradesmen.
Democrats were also staunch supporters of states' rights, which went down well with their Southern base, who were constantly worried about threats to slavery posed by Northern abolitionists. Although the Whigs' position on slavery was always rather ambiguous, there were certainly enough Whigs, especially in New England, to make the Democrats decidedly nervous about their intentions.
The Whig party (1834) formed in opposition to President Andrew Jackson and the Democratic party. It only lasted for a little over twenty years. There were two Whig presidents who were elected, Harrison and Taylor.
The Whig party wanted to make America stronger by building roads, canals, etc. They viewed President Jackson as being too much like a king, and even gave him the nickname King Andrew I. Democrats also believed in agriculture while Whigs believed in industry. The Whigs also favored a federal government while Democrats favored state government.
Slavery is what ultimately split up the Whig party because most northern Whigs believed in abolishing slavery, while most southern Whigs thought the opposite. This is when the Republican party was formed.
When the Whig Party was formed in 1834, there really was no ideological or policy-based difference between their party and the Democratic Party. Instead, the Whigs were really just a loose coalition of people who were mad at Andrew Jackson. You can see this, for example, in the fact that 28 of the 41 Democrats who voted against the recharter of the Bank of the US all switched and became Whigs.
As time went by, Whigs tended to be more conservative than Democrats. The Democrats were more likely to embrace immigrants and states rights. The Whigs were more nativist, Protestant, and in favor of a strong national government.