American political history

American political history examines how political institutions, movements, elections, and ideas have developed in the United States.

American Revolution: The late-eighteenth-century struggle in which thirteen British colonies won independence and founded the United States. The independence movement created the new republic whose political institutions this history traces.
Political party: An organized group that seeks political power by nominating candidates and advancing a shared program. Parties organize American elections and structure competition for control of government.
American Civil War: The 1861–1865 war between the United States and the Confederacy, fought chiefly over slavery and secession. The war settled secession by force and transformed federal authority and the status of slavery.
Alexander Hamilton: A founding-era American statesman who advocated a strong national government and helped establish the financial system. Hamilton’s Federalist vision influenced the early development of national power and public finance.
Federalist Party: An early United States political party that favored a stronger national government and operated from the 1790s into the 1820s. Its program opposed the Jeffersonian emphasis on agrarianism and more limited federal authority.
Articles of Confederation: The first national constitution of the United States, in force from 1781 until 1789. Its weaknesses prompted disputes over national power and a stronger constitutional framework.
United States presidential election: A recurring election in which voters choose presidential electors who formally select the president and vice president. Presidential contests reveal shifts in coalitions, political priorities, and governing mandates.
Reconstruction era: The period after the American Civil War when the nation addressed emancipation, citizenship, and the reintegration of the former Confederacy. Reconstruction tested whether emancipation and constitutional amendments would secure Black political participation.
Andrew Jackson: The seventh president of the United States, whose presidency expanded mass electoral politics while enforcing Indigenous removal. Jacksonian politics broadened participation for many white men while entrenching racial exclusion.
Democratic-Republican Party: An early United States political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in opposition to Federalist policies. Its rise made the republic’s first major party conflict a contest over national power and political economy.

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Arthur M. Schlesinger Sr.Related: His work connected political developments to broader social conditions.