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183-560: Following his victory in the northern Virginia campaign , Lee moved north with 55,000 men through the Shenandoah Valley starting on September 4, 1862. His objective was to resupply his army outside of the war-torn Virginia theater and to damage Northern morale in anticipation of the November elections. He undertook the risky maneuver of splitting his army so that he could continue north into Maryland while simultaneously capturing

366-551: A Confederate sympathizer that his order had been compromised, quickly moved to concentrate his army. He chose not to abandon his invasion and return to Virginia, because Jackson had not yet completed the capture of Harpers Ferry. Instead, he chose to make a stand at Sharpsburg, Maryland . In the meantime, elements of the Army of Northern Virginia waited in defense of the passes of South Mountain. As Jackson's three columns approached Harpers Ferry, Col. Dixon S. Miles , Union commander of

549-545: A Confederate victory. Lee determined that McClellan's army on the Virginia Peninsula was no longer a threat to Richmond and sent most of the rest of his army, Maj. Gen. James Longstreet 's command, following Jackson. Jackson conducted a wide-ranging maneuver around Pope's right flank, seizing the large supply depot in Pope's rear, at Manassas Junction , placing his force between Pope and Washington, D.C. Moving to

732-607: A brisk rearguard action against Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker 's division at Kettle Run, resulting in about 600 casualties. Ewell held back Union forces until dark. During the night of August 27 – August 28, Jackson marched his divisions north to the First Bull Run (Manassas) battlefield, where he took position behind an unfinished railroad grade. Pope did not know where Jackson had gone. After skirmishing near Chapman's Mill in Thoroughfare Gap, Ricketts's Union division

915-431: A chair. County, town, city, and ward committees generally are composed of individuals elected at the local level. State and local committees often coordinate campaign activities within their jurisdiction, oversee local conventions, and in some cases primaries or caucuses, and may have a role in nominating candidates for elected office under state law. Rarely do they have much direct funding, but in 2005 DNC Chairman Dean began

1098-543: A consequence of its defeats on the Peninsula and at Second Bull Run, but upon crossing into Maryland, their spirits were boosted by the "friendly, almost tumultuous welcome" that they received from the citizens of the state. Although he was being pursued by McClellan, whose Army of the Potomac outnumbered his by more than two to one, Lee chose the risky strategy of dividing his army to seize the prize of Harpers Ferry. While

1281-528: A flurry of frenzied preparations, despite being over 150 miles (240 km) from Hagerstown and in no immediate danger. I did not believe before coming here that there was so much Union feeling in the state. ... The whole population [of Frederick] seemed to turn out to welcome us. When Genl McClellan came thro[ugh] the ladies nearly eat him up, they kissed his clothing, threw their arms around his horse's neck and committed all sorts of extravagances. Brig. Gen. John Gibbon Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan and

1464-482: A gross mistake, and that he will be severely punished for it. I have all the plans of the rebels, and will catch them in their own trap if my men are equal to the emergency. ... Will send you trophies." McClellan waited 18 hours before deciding to take advantage of this intelligence. His delay squandered the opportunity to destroy Lee's army. On the night of September 13, the Army of the Potomac moved toward South Mountain , with Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside ’s right wing of

1647-547: A key part of the bipartisan conservative coalition in an alliance with most of the Midwestern Republicans. The economically activist philosophy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, which has strongly influenced American liberalism , shaped much of the party's economic agenda after 1932. From the 1930s to the mid-1960s, the liberal New Deal coalition usually controlled the presidency while the conservative coalition usually controlled Congress. Issues facing parties and

1830-554: A loser, he was despised by his own troops and would not hold a command in the Civil War again. McClellan's first choice to lead the I Corps was his friend and intimate Jesse Reno , then having operational command of the IX Corps but instead the position went to Joe Hooker, considered a more experienced officer. The XII Corps under Nathaniel Banks had a poor reputation; it had been badly defeated by "Stonewall" Jackson's troops during

2013-590: A military victory on Northern soil, but there is no evidence that Lee thought the South should base its military plans on this possibility. Nevertheless, the news of the victory at Second Bull Run and the start of Lee's invasion caused considerable diplomatic activity between the Confederate States and France and the United Kingdom . Additionally, generals Braxton Bragg and Edmund Kirby Smith in

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2196-532: A move for the party toward the Third Way , moving the party's economic stance towards market-based economic policy. Barack Obama oversaw the party's passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. During his and Joe Biden 's presidency, the party has adopted an increasingly progressive economic agenda and more left-wing views on cultural and social issues . In the 21st century, the party

2379-480: A new division commander. As far north as Wilkes-Barre , church and courthouse bells rang out, calling men to drill. In Maryland, panic was much more widespread than in Pennsylvania, which was not yet immediately threatened. Baltimore , which Lee incorrectly regarded as a hotbed of secession merely waiting for the appearance of Confederate armies to revolt, took up the war call against him immediately. When it

2562-411: A popular Democratic song. The emotionally similar song " Beautiful Day " by the band U2 has also become a favorite theme song for Democratic candidates. John Kerry used the song during his 2004 presidential campaign and several Democratic congressional candidates used it as a celebratory tune in 2006. As a traditional anthem for its presidential nominating convention, Aaron Copland 's " Fanfare for

2745-527: A position near Cedar Mountain, from whence he could launch cavalry raids on Gordonsville. Jackson advanced to Culpeper Court House on August 7, hoping to attack one of Pope's corps before the rest of the army could be concentrated. On August 9, Nathaniel Banks's corps attacked Jackson at Cedar Mountain, gaining an early advantage. Confederate Brig. Gen. Charles S. Winder was killed and his division mauled. A Confederate counterattack led by Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill drove Banks back across Cedar Creek. Jackson's advance

2928-718: A powerful assault on Lee's left flank that began the bloody battle. Attacks and counterattacks swept across the Miller Cornfield and the woods near the Dunker Church as Maj. Gen. Joseph K. Mansfield 's XII Corps joined to reinforce Hooker. Union assaults against the Sunken Road ("Bloody Lane") by Maj. Gen. Edwin V. Sumner 's II Corps eventually pierced the Confederate center, but the Federal advantage

3111-623: A program (called the "50 State Strategy") of using DNC national funds to assist all state parties and pay for full-time professional staffers. In addition, state-level party committees operate in the territories of American Samoa , Guam , and Virgin Islands , the commonwealths of Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico , and the District of Columbia , with all but Puerto Rico being active in nominating candidates for both presidential and territorial contests, while Puerto Rico's Democratic Party

3294-474: A stalemate. Pope became convinced that he had trapped Jackson and concentrated the bulk of his army against him. On August 29, Pope launched a series of assaults against Jackson's position along the unfinished railroad grade. The attacks were repulsed with heavy casualties on both sides. At noon, Longstreet arrived on the field from Thoroughfare Gap and took position on Jackson's right flank. On August 30, Pope renewed his attacks, seemingly unaware that Longstreet

3477-461: A synthesis of neoliberal economic policies with cultural liberalism , with the voter base after Reagan having shifted considerably to the right . In an effort to appeal both to liberals and to fiscal conservatives, Democrats began to advocate for a balanced budget and market economy tempered by government intervention ( mixed economy ), along with a continued emphasis on social justice and affirmative action . The economic policy adopted by

3660-466: A very defensible position near the battleground of the 1861 First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas), Jackson successfully repulsed Union assaults on August 29 as Lee and Longstreet's command arrived on the battlefield. On August 30, Pope attacked again, but was surprised to be caught between attacks by Longstreet and Jackson, and was forced to withdraw with heavy losses. The campaign concluded with another flanking maneuver by Jackson, which Pope engaged at

3843-560: A vigorous campaign attacking Eastern moneyed interests, but he lost to Republican William McKinley . The Democrats took control of the House in 1910, and Woodrow Wilson won election as president in 1912 (when the Republicans split) and 1916. Wilson effectively led Congress to put to rest the issues of tariffs, money, and antitrust, which had dominated politics for 40 years, with new progressive laws. He failed to secure Senate passage of

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4026-491: A younger generation of leaders, who like Hart had been inspired by the pragmatic idealism of John F. Kennedy. Arkansas governor Bill Clinton was one such figure, who was elected president in 1992 as the Democratic nominee. The Democratic Leadership Council was a campaign organization connected to Clinton that advocated a realignment and triangulation under the re-branded " New Democrat " label. The party adopted

4209-548: Is an organization supporting the candidacies of Democratic gubernatorial nominees and incumbents. Likewise, the mayors of the largest cities and urban centers convene as the National Conference of Democratic Mayors . The DNC sponsors the College Democrats of America (CDA), a student-outreach organization with the goal of training and engaging a new generation of Democratic activists. Democrats Abroad

4392-658: Is chaired by Representative Suzan DelBene of Washington . Similarly, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), chaired by Senator Gary Peters of Michigan, raises funds for Senate races. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), chaired by Majority Leader of the New York State Senate Andrea Stewart-Cousins , is a smaller organization that focuses on state legislative races. The Democratic Governors Association (DGA)

4575-506: Is contrary to common practice outside of the United States where blue is the traditional color of the right and red the color of the left. Jefferson-Jackson Day is the annual fundraising event (dinner) held by Democratic Party organizations across the United States. It is named after Presidents Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson , whom the party regards as its distinguished early leaders. The song " Happy Days Are Here Again "

4758-485: Is no man in the Army who can man these fortifications and lick these troops of ours into shape half as well as he. If he can't fight himself, he excels in making others ready to fight." Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac, bolstered by units absorbed from John Pope 's Army of Virginia , included six infantry corps, about 102,000 men. During the march north into Maryland, McClellan changed his army's command structure, appointing commanders for three "wings":

4941-463: Is not known. One possibility is that he knew it commanded his supply lines through the Shenandoah Valley . Before he entered Maryland he had assumed that the Federal garrisons at Winchester , Martinsburg , and Harpers Ferry would be cut off and abandoned without firing a shot (and, in fact, both Winchester and Martinsburg were evacuated). Another possibility is that it was simply a tempting target with many vital supplies but virtually indefensible, as it

5124-587: Is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States . Since the late 1850s, its main political rival has been the Republican Party ; the two parties have since dominated American politics. The Democratic Party was founded in 1828. Martin Van Buren of New York played the central role in building the coalition of state organizations that formed a new party as a vehicle to elect Andrew Jackson of Tennessee. The Democratic Party

5307-617: Is organized only to nominate presidential candidates. The Democrats Abroad committee is organized by American voters who reside outside of U.S. territory to nominate presidential candidates. All such party committees are accorded recognition as state parties and are allowed to elect both members to the National Committee as well as delegates to the National Convention. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) assists party candidates in House races and

5490-472: Is strongest among urban voters , union workers , college graduates , women , African Americans , American Jews , LGBT+ people , and the unmarried . On social issues, it advocates for abortion rights , voting rights , LGBT rights , action on climate change , and the legalization of marijuana . On economic issues, the party favors healthcare reform , universal child care , paid sick leave and supporting unions . In foreign policy,

5673-529: Is the largest party in the U.S. and the fourth largest in the world . Including the incumbent Biden, 16 Democrats have served as president of the United States. The Democratic-Republican Party splintered in 1824 into the short-lived National Republican Party and the Jacksonian movement which in 1828 became the Democratic Party. Under the Jacksonian era, the term "The Democracy" was in use by

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5856-545: Is the organization for Americans living outside the United States. They work to advance the party's goals and encourage Americans living abroad to support the Democrats. The Young Democrats of America (YDA) and the High School Democrats of America (HSDA) are young adult and youth-led organizations respectively that attempt to draw in and mobilize young people for Democratic candidates but operates outside of

6039-522: Is the unofficial song of the Democratic Party. It was used prominently when Franklin D. Roosevelt was nominated for president at the 1932 Democratic National Convention and remains a sentimental favorite for Democrats. For example, Paul Shaffer played the theme on the Late Show with David Letterman after the Democrats won Congress in 2006. " Don't Stop " by Fleetwood Mac was adopted by Bill Clinton 's presidential campaign in 1992 and has endured as

6222-439: Is the world's oldest active political party. It initially supported expansive presidential power , agrarianism , and geographical expansionism , while opposing a national bank and high tariffs . From 1848 it was dominated by the interests of slave states until it split in 1860 over slavery . It won the presidency only twice between 1860 and 1912, although it won the popular vote two more times in that period. In

6405-557: The 1848 presidential election , before returning to the Democratic Party and staying loyal to the Union. The Democrats split over slavery, with Northern and Southern tickets in the election of 1860 , in which the Republican Party gained ascendancy. The radical pro-slavery Fire-Eaters led walkouts at the two conventions when the delegates would not adopt a resolution supporting the extension of slavery into territories even if

6588-435: The 1984 and 1988 presidential elections , respectively. Many Democrats attached their hopes to the future star of Gary Hart , who had challenged Mondale in the 1984 primaries running on a theme of "New Ideas"; and in the subsequent 1988 primaries became the de facto front-runner and virtual "shoo-in" for the Democratic presidential nomination before a sex scandal ended his campaign. The party nevertheless began to seek out

6771-544: The 2020 presidential election . He began his term with extremely narrow Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate. During the Biden presidency, the party has been characterized as adopting an increasingly progressive economic agenda . In 2022, Biden appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson , the first Black woman on the Supreme Court . However, she was replacing liberal justice Stephen Breyer , so she did not alter

6954-593: The Battle of Chantilly on September 1. Lee's maneuvering of the Army of Northern Virginia against Pope is considered a military masterpiece. Historian John J. Hennessy wrote that "Lee may have fought cleverer battles, but this was his greatest campaign." I have come to you from the West, where we have always seen the backs of our enemies, from an army whose business it has been to seek the adversary, and to beat him to when he

7137-644: The Democratic National Convention . The national convention is subject to the charter of the party and the ultimate authority within the Democratic Party when it is in session, with the DNC running the party's organization at other times. Since 2021, the DNC has been chaired by Jaime Harrison . Each state also has a state committee, made up of elected committee members as well as ex officio committee members (usually elected officials and representatives of major constituencies), which in turn elects

7320-838: The Eastern Theater of the American Civil War . Confederate General Robert E. Lee followed up his successes of the Seven Days Battles in the Peninsula campaign by moving north toward Washington, D.C. , and defeating Maj. Gen. John Pope and his Army of Virginia . Concerned that Pope's army would combine forces with Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan 's Army of the Potomac and overwhelm him, Lee sent Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson north to intercept Pope's advance toward Gordonsville . The two forces initially clashed at Cedar Mountain on August 9,

7503-487: The First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas). He knew that McClellan was a strong organizer and a skilled trainer of troops, able to recombine the units of Pope's army with the Army of the Potomac faster than anyone, and there was no other viable choice for the job except Burnside, who was asked and declined command of the army. On September 2, Lincoln named McClellan to command "the fortifications of Washington, and all

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7686-561: The New Deal . New Deal liberalism meant the regulation of business (especially finance and banking) and the promotion of labor unions as well as federal spending to aid the unemployed, help distressed farmers and undertake large-scale public works projects. It marked the start of the American welfare state. The opponents, who stressed opposition to unions, support for business and low taxes, started calling themselves "conservatives". Until

7869-718: The Potomac River and invade Maryland , initiating the Maryland campaign and the battles of Harpers Ferry , South Mountain , and Antietam . The Bull Run battlefields are preserved by the National Park Service in Manassas National Battlefield Park . 38°48′45″N 77°31′17″W  /  38.8124°N 77.5213°W  / 38.8124; -77.5213 United States Democratic Party The Democratic Party

8052-649: The Potomac River because an invasion of Union territory violated their beliefs that they were fighting only to defend their states from "Northern aggression". Countless others became ill with diarrhea after eating unripe corn from the Maryland fields or disabled because their shoeless feet were bloodied on hard-surfaced Northern roads. Lee ordered his commanders to deal harshly with stragglers, whom he considered cowards "who desert their comrades in peril" and were therefore "unworthy members of an army that has immortalized itself" in its recent campaigns. Upon entering Maryland,

8235-565: The VI Corps under Brig. Gen. George W. Taylor . Lee's new plan in the face of all these additional forces outnumbering him was to send Jackson and Stuart with half of the army on a flanking march to cut Pope's line of communication, the Orange & Alexandria Railroad . The Hotchkiss journal shows that Jackson, most likely, originally conceived the movement. In the journal entries for March 4 and 6 1863, General Stuart tells Hotchkiss that "Jackson

8418-830: The Versailles Treaty (ending the war with Germany and joining the League of Nations). The weakened party was deeply divided by issues such as the KKK and prohibition in the 1920s. However, it did organize new ethnic voters in Northern cities. After World War I ended and continuing through the Great Depression , the Democratic and Republican Parties both largely believed in American exceptionalism over European monarchies and state socialism that existed elsewhere in

8601-655: The Vietnam War in the 1960s was another divisive issue that further fractured the fault lines of the Democrats' coalition. After the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in 1964, President Johnson committed a large contingency of combat troops to Vietnam, but the escalation failed to drive the Viet Cong from South Vietnam, resulting in an increasing quagmire , which by 1968 had become the subject of widespread anti-war protests in

8784-515: The Western Theatre outmaneuvered Don Carlos Buell to reach the border state of Kentucky from eastern Tennessee through the Battle of Richmond which coincided with Confederate victories in the East. After the defeat of Pope at Second Bull Run, President Lincoln reluctantly returned to the man who had mended a broken army before—George B. McClellan, who had done it after the Union defeat at

8967-476: The Whigs and modern Republicans. Historians argue that the modern Democratic Party was first organized in the late 1820s with the election of war hero Andrew Jackson of Tennessee, making it the world's oldest active political party. It was predominately built by Martin Van Buren , who assembled a wide cadre of politicians in every state behind Jackson. Since the nomination of William Jennings Bryan in 1896,

9150-618: The election of 1864 , which featured Andrew Johnson on the Union ticket to attract fellow Democrats. Johnson replaced Lincoln in 1865, but he stayed independent of both parties. The Democrats benefited from white Southerners' resentment of Reconstruction after the war and consequent hostility to the Republican Party. After Redeemers ended Reconstruction in the 1870s and following the often extremely violent disenfranchisement of African Americans led by such white supremacist Democratic politicians as Benjamin Tillman of South Carolina in

9333-489: The gold standard ; opposed bimetallism ; and crusaded against corruption, high taxes and tariffs. Cleveland was elected to non-consecutive presidential terms in 1884 and 1892 . Agrarian Democrats demanding free silver , drawing on Populist ideas, overthrew the Bourbon Democrats in 1896 and nominated William Jennings Bryan for the presidency (a nomination repeated by Democrats in 1900 and 1908). Bryan waged

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9516-602: The popular vote , but after a controversial election dispute over a Florida recount settled by the U.S. Supreme Court (which ruled 5–4 in favor of Bush ), he lost the 2000 election to Republican opponent George W. Bush in the Electoral College . In the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon as well as the growing concern over global warming , some of

9699-412: The 1880s and 1890s, the South, voting Democratic, became known as the " Solid South ". Although Republicans won all but two presidential elections, the Democrats remained competitive. The party was dominated by pro-business Bourbon Democrats led by Samuel J. Tilden and Grover Cleveland , who represented mercantile, banking, and railroad interests; opposed imperialism and overseas expansion; fought for

9882-518: The 1960s, the core bases of the parties shifted, with the Southern states becoming more reliably Republican and the Northeastern states becoming more reliably Democratic. The party's labor union element has become smaller since the 1970s, and as the American electorate shifted in a more conservative direction following the presidency of Ronald Reagan , the election of Bill Clinton marked

10065-570: The 1980s, the Democratic Party was a coalition of two parties divided by the Mason–Dixon line: liberal Democrats in the North and culturally conservative voters in the South, who though benefitting from many of the New Deal public works projects, opposed increasing civil rights initiatives advocated by northeastern liberals. The polarization grew stronger after Roosevelt died. Southern Democrats formed

10248-492: The Army of Northern Virginia crossed into Maryland from Loudoun County . The main body of the army advanced into Frederick, Maryland , on September 7. The 55,000-man army had been reinforced by troops who had been defending Richmond—the divisions of Maj. Gens. D.H. Hill and Lafayette McLaws and two brigades under Brig. Gen. John George Walker —but they merely made up for the 9,000 men lost at Bull Run and Chantilly. Lee's invasion coincided with another strategic offensive by

10431-482: The Army of the Potomac in this regard was a little behind its Confederate opponent as Lee had been able to purge his ranks of inadequate generals in the aftermath of the Seven Days Battles. The administration had wanted to remove Porter and Franklin, whom they considered politically suspect, but McClellan was able to retain them for this campaign. Of the six corps that participated in the Maryland campaign,

10614-525: The Army's Department of the Northwest, where he fought the Dakota War of 1862 . Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan assumed command of all Union forces around Washington, and his Army of the Potomac absorbed the forces of the Army of Virginia , which was disbanded on September 12, 1862. With Pope no longer a threat and McClellan reorganizing his command, Lee turned his army north on September 4 to cross

10797-638: The Common Man " is traditionally performed at the beginning of the Democratic National Convention. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is responsible for promoting Democratic campaign activities. While the DNC is responsible for overseeing the process of writing the Democratic Platform, the DNC is more focused on campaign and organizational strategy than public policy . In presidential elections, it supervises

10980-529: The Confederacy had claimed it was the victim of aggression and was merely defending itself against "foreign invasion." Davis explained that the Confederacy was still waging a war of self-defense. He wrote there was "no design of conquest," and that the invasions were only an aggressive effort to force the Lincoln government to let the South go in peace. "We are driven to protect our own country by transferring

11163-507: The Confederacy. Generals Braxton Bragg and Edmund Kirby Smith had simultaneously launched invasions of Kentucky. Jefferson Davis sent to all three generals a draft public proclamation, with blank spaces available for them to insert the name of whatever state their invading forces might reach. Davis wrote to explain to the public (and, indirectly, the European Powers) why the South seemed to be changing its strategy. Until this point,

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11346-469: The Confederates found little support. Instead, they were met with reactions that ranged from a cool lack of enthusiasm, to — in most cases — open hostility. Robert E. Lee was disappointed at the state's resistance, which he had not anticipated. Although Maryland was a slaveholding state, Confederate sympathies were considerably less pronounced among the lower and middle classes, which generally supported

11529-417: The Democratic Party supported expansive presidential power , the interests of slave states , agrarianism , and expansionism , while opposing a national bank and high tariffs . The Democratic-Republican Party split over the choice of a successor to President James Monroe . The faction that supported many of the old Jeffersonian principles , led by Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren , became

11712-407: The Democratic Party while red has become the identifying color for the Republican Party. That night, for the first time all major broadcast television networks used the same color scheme for the electoral map: blue states for Al Gore (Democratic nominee) and red states for George W. Bush (Republican nominee). Since then, the color blue has been widely used by the media to represent the party. This

11895-407: The Democratic Party, including the former Clinton administration , has been referred to as " Third Way ". The Democrats lost control of Congress in the 1994 elections to the Republicans, however, in 1996 Clinton was re-elected, becoming the first Democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win a second full term. Clinton's vice president Al Gore ran to succeed him as president, and won

12078-487: The Democrats but had the effect of alienating Southern whites who would eventually gravitate toward the Republican Party, particularly after the election of Ronald Reagan to the presidency in 1980. Many conservative Southern Democrats defected to the Republican Party , beginning with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the general leftward shift of the party. The United States' involvement in

12261-502: The Democrats led to a Republican victory and Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th president of the United States. As the American Civil War broke out, Northern Democrats were divided into War Democrats and Peace Democrats . The Confederate States of America deliberately avoided organized political parties. Most War Democrats rallied to Republican President Abraham Lincoln and the Republicans' National Union Party in

12444-466: The Eastern Theater. The Confederates had suffered significant manpower losses in the wake of the summer campaigns. Nevertheless, Lee decided his army was ready for a great challenge: an invasion of the North. His goal was to reach the major Northern states of Maryland and Pennsylvania , and cut off the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line that supplied Washington, D.C. His movements would threaten Washington, D.C., and Baltimore , so as to "annoy and harass

12627-661: The Federal garrison and arsenal at Harpers Ferry . McClellan accidentally found a copy of Lee's orders to his subordinate commanders and planned to isolate and defeat the separated portions of Lee's army. While Confederate Maj. Gen. Stonewall Jackson surrounded, bombarded, and captured Harpers Ferry (September 12–15), McClellan's army of 102,000 men attempted to move quickly through the South Mountain passes that separated him from Lee. The Battle of South Mountain on September 14 delayed McClellan's advance and allowed Lee sufficient time to concentrate most of his army at Sharpsburg. The Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg) on September 17

12810-419: The Federalist Party. The Democratic-Republican Party favored republicanism ; a weak federal government ; states' rights ; agrarian interests (especially Southern planters); and strict adherence to the Constitution. The party opposed a national bank and Great Britain . After the War of 1812 , the Federalists virtually disappeared and the only national political party left was the Democratic-Republicans, which

12993-422: The Federals were crossing and nearly annihilated the 118th Pennsylvania (the "Corn Exchange" Regiment), inflicting 269 casualties. This rearguard action discouraged further Federal pursuit. Northern Virginia campaign The Northern Virginia Campaign , also known as the Second Bull Run Campaign or Second Manassas Campaign , was a series of battles fought in Virginia during August and September 1862 in

13176-545: The II and VI were the largest and most well-rested as neither had fought since the Seven Days Battles. The II Corps received a new division of nine month troops commanded by Brig. Gen William French and the VI Corps had one new regiment; all the rest of the men in both corps had fought on the Peninsula. The I Corps was the smallest, as it had suffered heavy losses at Second Bull Run (one of its divisions had also been heavily engaged in

13359-490: The III Corps.) Pope had an additional, broader objective, encouraged by Abraham Lincoln. For the first time, the Union intended to pressure the civilian population of the Confederacy by bringing some of the hardships of war directly to them. Pope issued three general orders on the subject to his army. General Order No. 5 directed the army to "subsist upon the country," reimbursing farmers with vouchers that were payable after

13542-578: The Manassas battlefield. Ricketts withdrew via Gainesville to Manassas Junction. The most significant battle of the campaign, Second Bull Run (Second Manassas), was fought August 28–30. In order to draw Pope's army into battle, Jackson ordered an attack on a Federal column that was passing across his front on the Warrenton Turnpike on August 28, alerting Pope to his position. The fighting at Brawner's Farm lasted several hours and resulted in

13725-543: The Northern populace and government unwilling to continue the fight. With the Congressional elections of 1862 approaching in November, Lee believed that an invading army playing havoc inside the North could tip the balance of Congress to the Democratic Party , which might force Abraham Lincoln to negotiate an end to the war. He told Confederate President Jefferson Davis in a letter of September 3 that

13908-510: The Obama presidency, the party moved forward reforms including an economic stimulus package, the Dodd–Frank financial reform act, and the Affordable Care Act . In the 2010 midterm elections , the Democratic Party lost control of the House as well as its majorities in several state legislatures and governorships. In the 2012 elections , President Obama was re-elected, but the party remained in

14091-611: The Peninsula and to return to Northern Virginia to support Pope. McClellan protested and did not begin his redeployment until August 14. The Army of the Potomac returned to Washington except for a division of the IV Corps , which was left on the Virginia Peninsula. On July 29, Pope moved his headquarters from Washington to the field. He was informed by Halleck of the plan to link up with McClellan's army, but rather than waiting for this to occur, he moved some of his forces to

14274-493: The Peninsula. In July Lee then conducted the northern Virginia campaign in which he outmaneuvered and defeated Maj. Gen. John Pope and his Army of Virginia , most significantly at the Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas), before McClellan's corps could reinforce Pope. Lee's Maryland campaign can be considered the concluding part of a logically connected, three-campaign, summer offensive against Federal forces in

14457-536: The Peninsula. Maj. Gen. D.H. Hill 's command was also placed under Longstreet. Also joining was Brig. Gen. .Nathan G. "Shanks" Evans's independent South Carolina brigade. McLaws and Hill were left in Richmond under the command of Maj. Gen. Gustavus W. Smith , and so Longstreet would take only five divisions north. Pope's mission was to fulfill a few objectives: protect Washington and the Shenandoah Valley , and draw Confederate forces away from McClellan by moving in

14640-471: The Potomac had invaded the Virginia Peninsula during the Peninsula Campaign and by June stood only a few miles outside the Confederate capital at Richmond . But, when Robert E. Lee assumed command of the Army of Northern Virginia on June 1, fortunes reversed. Lee attacked McClellan aggressively at the end of June in the Seven Days Battles ; McClellan lost his nerve, and his army retreated down

14823-494: The Potomac into the Shenandoah Valley. On September 19, a detachment of Maj. Gen. Fitz John Porter 's V Corps pushed across the river at Boteler's Ford, attacked the Confederate rear guard commanded by Brig. Gen. William N. Pendleton , and captured four guns. Early on September 20, Porter pushed elements of two divisions across the Potomac to establish a bridgehead. A.P. Hill's division counterattacked while many of

15006-773: The Potomac, the II, III, V, and VI Corps, which had served through the Peninsula Campaign, were the easiest ones to get ready for action. In addition there were the three corps that had comprised Pope's army. Aside from the Pennsylvania Reserves, which had born the brunt of action in the Seven Days Battles, none of these troops had served under McClellan before, all had been poorly led, and did not have much record of battlefield success. The two divisions of Burnside's IX Corps were also new to McClellan, but they had served capably in North Carolina early in

15189-575: The Republican eagle. The rooster was also adopted as an official symbol of the national Democratic Party. In 1904, the Alabama Democratic Party chose, as the logo to put on its ballots, a rooster with the motto "White supremacy – For the right." The words "White supremacy" were replaced with "Democrats" in 1966. In 1996, the Alabama Democratic Party dropped the rooster, citing racist and white supremacist connotations linked with

15372-427: The Richmond area during the northern Virginia campaign; they quickly rejoined the army for the march into Maryland. Lee was also reinforced by Brig. Gen John G. Walker 's two-brigade division from North Carolina. The exact size of the Army of Northern Virginia at Antietam has been a source of debate since the 19th century since no army returns were made between July 20 and September 22. "Lost Cause" propagandists during

15555-631: The Seven Days) and would lose still more men at South Mountain; it is estimated that the corps had 8,000 men at Antietam out of a paper strength of 14,000. The VI Corps was also joined by Darius Couch's division, formerly part of Erasmus Keyes 's IV Corps, and now being brought up from the Virginia Peninsula. The V Corps was heavily engaged in the Seven Days Battles and at Second Bull Run, and had lost significant amounts of men; several new regiments of green troops would replace them. A new division of nine month regiments led by Brig. Gen Andrew A. Humphreys

15738-683: The Stonewall Division (now commanded by Brig. Gen. Charles S. Winder ) and Maj. Gen. Richard Ewell 's division, plus the newly added command of Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill . Longstreet had seven divisions. His former command was divided into two parts led by Brig. Gens. Cadmus Wilcox and James L. Kemper . Maj. Gen. Richard H. Anderson got Huger's division, and Brig. Gen. John B. Hood was leading Whiting's Division due to William H.C. Whiting being on sick leave. Brig. Gens. David R. Jones and Lafayette McLaws continued in command of their divisions, both of which had been part of Magruder's Army of

15921-575: The Stonewall Division, as both had been fighting and marching since May almost without a break. Other Confederate divisions such as D.H. Hill's, had not fought since the Peninsula and would have been better rested and more physically fit. The lack of food was a serious problem for the Army of Northern Virginia, as most crops were a month away from harvesting in September and many soldiers were forced to subsist on field corn and green apples, which gave them indigestion and diarrhea. As noted above, malnutrition

16104-424: The U.S. House and expanded its majority in the U.S. Senate, along with several gains at the state level. In July 2024, after a series of age and health concerns , Biden became the first incumbent president since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968 to withdraw from running for reelection, the first since the 19th century to withdraw after serving only one term, and the only one to ever withdraw after already winning

16287-530: The Union Army of the Potomac moved out of Washington starting on September 7 with his 87,000-man army in a lethargic pursuit. He was a naturally cautious general and assumed he would be facing over 120,000 Confederates. He also was maintaining running arguments with the government in Washington, demanding that the forces defending the capital city report to him. The army started with relatively low morale,

16470-581: The Union cause, than among the pro-secession legislature, the majority of the members of which hailed from Southern Maryland, an area almost entirely economically dependent on slave labor. Furthermore, many of the fiercely pro-Southern Marylanders had already traveled south at the beginning of the war to join the Confederate Army in Virginia. Only a "few score" of men joined Lee's columns in Maryland. Maryland and Pennsylvania, alarmed and outraged by

16653-500: The United States after World War II included the Cold War and the civil rights movement . Republicans attracted conservatives and, after the 1960s, white Southerners from the Democratic coalition with their use of the Southern strategy and resistance to New Deal and Great Society liberalism. Until the 1950s, African Americans had traditionally supported the Republican Party because of its anti-slavery civil rights policies. Following

16836-559: The United States and elsewhere. With increasing casualties and nightly news reports bringing home troubling images from Vietnam, the costly military engagement became increasingly unpopular, alienating many of the kinds of young voters that the Democrats had attracted in the early 1960s. The protests that year along with assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Democratic presidential candidate Senator Robert F. Kennedy (younger brother of John F. Kennedy) climaxed in turbulence at

17019-675: The Valley Campaign in spring, had fought poorly at Cedar Mountain, and Pope held the corps and Banks in such low regard that he kept them away from the Second Bull Run battlefield. Banks was dropped from command of the XII Corps and eventually sent to Louisiana. Brig. Gen Alpheus Williams temporarily commanded the corps until Joseph Mansfield assumed command on September 14. The III Corps and XI Corps had both suffered severe losses at Second Bull Run and were almost driven from

17202-929: The Virginia Central. Lee had larger plans in mind. Since the Union Army was split between McClellan and Pope and they were widely separated, Lee saw an opportunity to destroy Pope before returning his attention to McClellan. On July 26, Lee met with cavalry commander and partisan fighter Capt. John S. Mosby , who had just been exchanged as a prisoner of war. Coming through the Hampton Roads area in Union custody, Mosby observed significant naval transport activity and deduced that Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside 's troops, who had fought in North Carolina , were being shipped to reinforce Pope. Wanting to take immediate action before those troops were in position,

17385-654: The Whig Party. The Democratic Party had a small yet decisive advantage over the Whigs until the 1850s when the Whigs fell apart over the issue of slavery. In 1854, angry with the Kansas–Nebraska Act , anti-slavery Democrats left the party and joined Northern Whigs to form the Republican Party . Martin van Buren also helped found the Free Soil Party to oppose the spread of slavery, running as its candidate in

17568-631: The army directed to Turner's Gap , and Brig. Gen. William B. Franklin ’s left wing to Crampton's Gap . South Mountain is the name given to the continuation of the Blue Ridge Mountains after they enter Maryland. It is a natural obstacle that separates the Shenandoah and Cumberland valleys from the eastern part of Maryland. Crossing the passes of South Mountain was the only way to reach Lee's army. Lee, seeing McClellan's uncharacteristic aggressive actions, and possibly learning through

17751-677: The army struck the Orange & Alexandria Railroad at Bristoe Station and before daybreak August 27 marched to capture and destroy the massive Union supply depot at Manassas Junction. This surprise movement forced Pope into an abrupt retreat from his defensive line along the Rappahannock. On August 27, Jackson routed the New Jersey Brigade of the VI Corps near Bull Run Bridge, mortally wounding its commander George W. Taylor . Maj. Gen. Richard S. Ewell 's Confederate division fought

17934-497: The attention of both armies along the river. Heavy rains had swollen the river and Lee was unable to force a crossing. Pope considered an attack across the river to strike Lee's right flank, but he was also stymied by the high water. By this time, reinforcements from the Army of the Potomac were arriving from the Peninsula: Maj. Gen. Samuel P. Heintzelman 's III Corps , Maj. Gen. Fitz-John Porter 's V Corps , and elements of

18117-440: The battlefield and counter each individual Union assault. During the night, both armies consolidated their lines. In spite of crippling casualties—Union 12,401, or 25%; Confederate 10,316, or 31%—Lee continued to skirmish with McClellan throughout September 18, while transporting his wounded men south of the Potomac. McClellan did not renew the offensive. After dark, Lee ordered the battered Army of Northern Virginia to withdraw across

18300-501: The campaign, Kennedy attracted a new generation of younger voters. In his agenda dubbed the New Frontier , Kennedy introduced a host of social programs and public works projects, along with enhanced support of the space program , proposing a crewed spacecraft trip to the moon by the end of the decade. He pushed for civil rights initiatives and proposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 , but with his assassination in November 1963, he

18483-487: The campaign. Although Antietam was a tactical draw, it meant the strategy behind Lee's Maryland campaign had failed. President Abraham Lincoln used this Union victory as the justification for announcing his Emancipation Proclamation , which effectively ended any threat of European support for the Confederacy . The year 1862 started out well for Union forces in the Eastern Theater . George B. McClellan's Army of

18666-430: The concentration of economic and political power. They believed that government intervention in the economy benefited special-interest groups and created corporate monopolies that favored the rich. They sought to restore the independence of the individual—the artisan and the ordinary farmer—by ending federal support of banks and corporations and restricting the use of paper currency, which they distrusted. Their definition of

18849-432: The confusion of the Democrats that year, and won the 1968 election to become the 37th president. He won re-election in a landslide in 1972 against Democratic nominee George McGovern , who like Robert F. Kennedy, reached out to the younger anti-war and counterculture voters, but unlike Kennedy, was not able to appeal to the party's more traditional white working-class constituencies. During Nixon's second term, his presidency

19032-455: The corps as a whole was quite inexperienced as Second Bull Run had been the only serious engagement it had fought in. The XII Corps had not fought at Second Bull Run and its last engagement had been at Cedar Mountain a month earlier; some men from this corps were left in the Washington defenses and swapped for a number of green regiments. After Nathaniel Banks was fired on September 12, the senior division commander, Alpheus Williams , commanded

19215-681: The corps for a few days until Maj. Gen Joseph K. Mansfield , an old regular army officer with 40 years of service, was named to command. General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was organized into two large infantry corps, about 55,000 effectives at the beginning of September. The First Corps, under Maj. Gen. James Longstreet , consisted of the divisions of Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws , Maj. Gen. Richard H. Anderson , Brig. Gen. David R. Jones , Brig. Gen. John G. Walker , Brig. Gen. John Bell Hood , and an independent brigade under Brig. Gen. Nathan G. "Shanks" Evans . The Second Corps, under Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson , consisted of

19398-452: The corps level. One of the more unusual aspects of the Maryland campaign was the severely understrength condition of the Army of Northern Virginia. Robert E. Lee had commanded nearly 90,000 men in it when he assumed command of the army in June, but the Seven Days Battles cost him 20,000 casualties and the northern Virginia campaign another 12,000 or so. Along with the marching into Maryland,

19581-514: The corps of Maj. Gen. James Longstreet drove north in the direction of Hagerstown , Lee sent columns of troops to converge and attack Harpers Ferry from three directions. The largest column, 11,500 men under Jackson, was to recross the Potomac and circle around to the west of Harpers Ferry and attack it from Bolivar Heights , while the other two columns, under Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws (8,000 men) and Brig. Gen. John G. Walker (3,400), were to capture Maryland Heights and Loudoun Heights, commanding

19764-430: The court's 6–3 split between conservatives (the majority) and liberals. After Dobbs v. Jackson (decided June 24, 2022), which led to abortion bans in much of the country , the Democratic Party rallied behind abortion rights . In the 2022 midterm elections , Democrats dramatically outperformed historical trends and a widely anticipated red wave did not materialize. The party only narrowly lost its majority in

19947-662: The direction of Gordonsville. Pope started on the latter by dispatching cavalry to break the Virginia Central Railroad connecting Gordonsville, Charlottesville , and Lynchburg . The cavalry under Hatch got off to a slow start and found that Stonewall Jackson had already occupied Gordonsville on July 19 with over 14,000 men. (After a subsequent second failure to cut the railroad on July 22, Pope removed Hatch from his cavalry command and reassigned him to command an infantry brigade in Brig. Gen. Rufus King's division of

20130-627: The divisions of Brig. Gen. Alexander R. Lawton , Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill (the Light Division), Brig. Gen. John R. Jones , and Maj. Gen. D.H. Hill . The remaining units were the Cavalry Corps, under Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart , and the reserve artillery, commanded by Brig. Gen. William N. Pendleton . The Second Corps was organized with artillery attached to each division, in contrast to the First Corps, which reserved its artillery at

20313-428: The enemy was "much weakened and demoralized." There were secondary reasons as well. The Confederate invasion might be able to incite an uprising in Maryland, especially given that it was a slave-holding state and many of its citizens held a sympathetic stance toward the South. Some Confederate politicians, including Jefferson Davis, believed the prospect of foreign recognition for the Confederacy would be made stronger by

20496-410: The enemy." Several motives led to Lee's decision to launch an invasion. First, he needed to supply his army and knew the farms of the North had been untouched by war, unlike those in Virginia. Moving the war northward would relieve pressure on Virginia. Second was the issue of Northern morale. Lee knew the Confederacy did not have to win the war by defeating the North militarily; it merely needed to make

20679-557: The field in panic; they were left behind in Washington, D.C., to rest and refit. The III Corps were excellent troops who had fought hard on the Peninsula and at Second Bull Run, while the XI Corps, consisting of a large number of German-American troops, as well as its commander Maj. Gen Franz Sigel had a poor reputation and no record of success on the battlefield. McClellan was thus able to use his influence to remove several underperforming generals, namely McDowell, Heintzelman, and Banks;

20862-441: The garrison, insisted on keeping most of the troops near the town instead of taking up commanding positions on the surrounding heights. The South Carolinians under Brig. Gen. Joseph B. Kershaw encountered the slim defenses of the most important position, Maryland Heights, but only brief skirmishing ensued. Strong attacks by the brigades of Kershaw and William Barksdale on September 13 drove the mostly inexperienced Union troops from

21045-647: The hallmark of nineteenth-century American politics. Behind the platforms issued by state and national parties stood a widely shared political outlook that characterized the Democrats: The Democrats represented a wide range of views but shared a fundamental commitment to the Jeffersonian concept of an agrarian society. They viewed the central government as the enemy of individual liberty. The 1824 "corrupt bargain" had strengthened their suspicion of Washington politics. ... Jacksonians feared

21228-467: The heights. During the fighting on Maryland Heights, the other Confederate columns arrived and were astonished to see that critical positions to the west and south of town were not defended. Jackson methodically positioned his artillery around Harpers Ferry and ordered Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill to move down the west bank of the Shenandoah River in preparation for a flank attack on the Federal left

21411-456: The hotly-contested Democratic National Convention that summer in Chicago (which amongst the ensuing turmoil inside and outside of the convention hall nominated Vice President Hubert Humphrey ) in a series of events that proved to mark a significant turning point in the decline of the Democratic Party's broad coalition. Republican presidential nominee Richard Nixon was able to capitalize on

21594-508: The image persisted and evolved. Its most lasting impression came from the cartoons of Thomas Nast from 1870 in Harper's Weekly . Cartoonists followed Nast and used the donkey to represent the Democrats and the elephant to represent the Republicans. In the early 20th century, the traditional symbol of the Democratic Party in Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Ohio was the rooster, as opposed to

21777-424: The intelligence value of this discovery, McClellan threw up his arms and exclaimed, "Now I know what to do!" He waved the order at his old Army friend, Brig. Gen. John Gibbon , and said, "Here is a paper with which if I cannot whip Bobbie Lee, I will be willing to go home." He telegraphed President Lincoln: "I have the whole rebel force in front of me, but I am confident, and no time shall be lost. I think Lee has made

21960-399: The invasion, rose at once to arms. Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin called for 50,000 militia to turn out, and he nominated Maj. Gen. John F. Reynolds , a native Pennsylvanian, to command them. This caused considerable frustration to McClellan and Reynolds's corps commander, Joseph Hooker , but general-in-chief Henry Halleck ordered Reynolds to serve under Curtin and told Hooker to find

22143-599: The late 19th century, it continued to oppose high tariffs and had fierce internal debates on the gold standard . In the early 20th century, it partially (not all factions) supported progressive reforms and opposed imperialism , with Woodrow Wilson winning the White House in 1912 and 1916 . Since Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president in 1932, the Democratic Party has promoted a liberal platform that includes support for Social Security and unemployment insurance . The New Deal attracted strong support for

22326-556: The leadership of Nancy Pelosi . Democrats were extremely critical of President Trump, particularly his policies on immigration, healthcare, and abortion, as well as his response to the COVID-19 pandemic . In December 2019, Democrats in the House of Representatives impeached Trump , although he was acquitted in the Republican-controlled Senate. In November 2020, Democrat Joe Biden defeated Trump to win

22509-454: The left, commanded by William B. Franklin, consisted of his own VI Corps plus the division of Darius Couch; the center, under Edwin Sumner, consisted of his II Corps and the XII Corps; the right, under Ambrose Burnside, consisted of his IX Corps (temporarily commanded by Maj. Gen. Jesse L. Reno until he was killed at South Mountain) and the I Corps. This wing organization was revoked just before

22692-409: The manpower of the army dropped even more due to straggling, lack of food, and a significant number of soldiers in Virginia regiments deserting on the grounds that they had signed up to defend their state and not invade the North. Significant numbers of Confederate soldiers had no shoes and were unable to handle the macadamized roads of Maryland. Lee may have had under 40,000 men on the field at Antietam,

22875-483: The minority in the House of Representatives and lost control of the Senate in the 2014 midterm elections . After the 2016 election of Donald Trump , who lost the popular vote to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton , the Democratic Party transitioned into the role of an opposition party and held neither the presidency nor Congress for two years. However, the party won back the House in the 2018 midterm elections under

23058-414: The modern Democratic Party. Historian Mary Beth Norton explains the transformation in 1828: Jacksonians believed the people's will had finally prevailed. Through a lavishly financed coalition of state parties, political leaders, and newspaper editors, a popular movement had elected the president. The Democrats became the nation's first well-organized national party ... and tight party organization became

23241-562: The newly formed Army of Virginia. Pope had achieved some success in the Western Theater , and Lincoln sought a more aggressive general than McClellan. Pope did not endear himself to his subordinate commanders—all three selected as corps commanders technically outranked him—or to his junior officers, by his boastful orders that implied Eastern soldiers were inferior to their Western counterparts. Some of his enlisted men were encouraged by Pope's aggressive tone. The Union Army of Virginia

23424-656: The next day Lee committed Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill to join Jackson with 12,000 men, while distracting McClellan with artillery bombardments and diversionary movements. McClellan advanced a force from Harrison's Landing to Malvern Hill , and Lee moved south to meet the threat, but McClellan eventually withdrew his advance. Still convinced that he was heavily outnumbered, he sent messages to Washington that he would need at least 50,000 more men before he could attempt another attack on Richmond. On August 3, General-in-Chief Henry W. Halleck directed McClellan to begin his final withdrawal from

23607-545: The next day. Jackson took possession of Harpers Ferry and more than 12,000 Union prisoners, then led most of his men to join Lee at Sharpsburg, leaving Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill 's division to complete the occupation of the town. Pitched battles were fought on September 14 for possession of the South Mountain passes: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps . Maj. Gen. D.H. Hill defended Turner's and Fox's Gaps against Burnside. To

23790-438: The next morning. By the morning of September 15, Jackson had positioned nearly 50 guns on Maryland Heights and at the base of Loudoun Heights. He began a fierce artillery barrage from all sides and ordered an infantry assault. Miles realized that the situation was hopeless and agreed with his subordinates to raise the white flag of surrender. Before he could surrender personally, he was mortally wounded by an artillery shell and died

23973-485: The one Lee inherited for the Seven Days Battles; in that campaign there had been eleven separate divisions, which led to breakdowns in communications and the inability of the army to execute Lee's battle plans properly. William H.C. Whiting , Theophilus Holmes , Benjamin Huger , and John B. Magruder were all reassigned elsewhere. The command structure was reorganized as follows: Jackson's wing comprised his old Valley Army;

24156-546: The party from recent European immigrants but diminished the party's pro-business wing. From late in Roosevelt's administration through the 1950s, a minority in the party's Southern wing joined with conservative Republicans to slow and stop progressive domestic reforms. Following the Great Society era of progressive legislation under Lyndon B. Johnson , who was often able to overcome the conservative coalition in

24339-574: The party has generally positioned itself to the left of the Republican Party on economic issues. Democrats have been more liberal on civil rights since 1948, although conservative factions within the Democratic Party that opposed them persisted in the South until the 1960s. On foreign policy, both parties have changed positions several times. The Democratic Party evolved from the Jeffersonian Republican or Democratic-Republican Party organized by Jefferson and Madison in opposition to

24522-506: The party supports liberal internationalism as well as tough stances against China and Russia . Democratic Party officials often trace its origins to the Democratic-Republican Party , founded by Thomas Jefferson , James Madison and other influential opponents of the conservative Federalists in 1792. That party died out before the modern Democratic Party was organized; the Jeffersonian party also inspired

24705-412: The party's key issues in the early 21st century have included combating terrorism while preserving human rights, expanding access to health care, labor rights , and environmental protection. Democrats regained majority control of both the House and the Senate in the 2006 elections . Barack Obama won the Democratic Party's nomination and was elected as the first African American president in 2008. Under

24888-469: The party, but inflation and the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979–1980 took their toll, resulting in a landslide victory for Republican presidential nominee Ronald Reagan in 1980, which shifted the political landscape in favor of the Republicans for years to come. The influx of conservative Democrats into the Republican Party is often cited as a reason for the Republican Party's shift further to

25071-453: The party, but the name "Democratic Party" was eventually settled upon and became the official name in 1844. Members of the party are called "Democrats" or "Dems". The most common mascot symbol for the party has been the donkey, or jackass. Andrew Jackson 's enemies twisted his name to "jackass" as a term of ridicule regarding a stupid and stubborn animal. However, the Democrats liked the common-man implications and picked it up too, therefore

25254-561: The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 , the Southern states became more reliably Republican in presidential politics, while Northeastern states became more reliably Democratic. Studies show that Southern whites, which were a core constituency in the Democratic Party, shifted to the Republican Party due to racial backlash and social conservatism . The election of President John F. Kennedy from Massachusetts in 1960 partially reflected this shift. In

25437-717: The people of Maryland that his army had come "with the deepest sympathy [for] the wrongs that have been inflicted upon the citizens of the commonwealth allied to the States of the South by the strongest social, political, and commercial ties ... to aid you in throwing off this foreign yoke, to enable you again to enjoy the inalienable rights of freemen." Lee divided his army into four parts as it moved into Maryland. After receiving intelligence of militia activity in Chambersburg , Lee sent Maj. Gen. James Longstreet to Boonsboro and then to Hagerstown . Lee's intelligence had overstated

25620-473: The plans for reinforcing Pope's army, which would eventually bring it to the strength of 130,000 men, more than twice the size of the Army of Northern Virginia. The two armies fought a series of minor actions August 22–25 along the Rappahannock River, including Waterloo Bridge, Lee Springs, Freeman's Ford, and Sulphur Springs, resulting in a few hundred casualties. Together, these skirmishes kept

25803-421: The postwar years presented a picture of Lee being severely understrength and possibly having as few as 30,000 men on the field. Union generals and veterans of the war generally believed that the Army of Northern Virginia was not that small on September 17, and estimated Confederate strength as high as 50,000 men. It seems almost certain that the most exhausted and understrength Confederate divisions were Lawton's and

25986-401: The primaries . As of 2024, Democrats hold the presidency and a majority in the U.S. Senate , as well as 23 state governorships , 19 state legislatures , 17 state government trifectas , and the mayorships in the majority of the country's major cities. Three of the nine current U.S. Supreme Court justices were appointed by Democratic presidents. By registered members, the Democratic Party

26169-517: The proper role of government tended to be negative, and Jackson's political power was largely expressed in negative acts. He exercised the veto more than all previous presidents combined. ... Nor did Jackson share reformers' humanitarian concerns. He had no sympathy for American Indians, initiating the removal of the Cherokees along the Trail of Tears . Opposing factions led by Henry Clay helped form

26352-473: The railroad bridge at Somerville Ford and then move around Pope's left flank into the Federal rear, destroying supplies and blocking their possible avenues of retreat. Logistical difficulties and cavalry movement delays caused the plan to be abandoned. On August 20–21, Pope withdrew to the line of the Rappahannock River . He was aware of Lee's plan because a Union cavalry raid captured a copy of

26535-547: The retreating Union army. Making a wide flanking march, Jackson hoped to cut off the Union retreat from Bull Run. On September 1, beyond Chantilly Plantation on the Little River Turnpike near Ox Hill, Jackson sent his divisions against two Union divisions under Maj. Gens. Philip Kearny and Isaac Stevens . Confederate attacks were stopped by fierce fighting during a severe thunderstorm. Union generals Stevens and Kearny were both killed. Recognizing that his army

26718-516: The right during the late 20th century as well as the shift of its base from the Northeast and Midwest to the South. With the ascendancy of the Republicans under Ronald Reagan, the Democrats searched for ways to respond yet were unable to succeed by running traditional candidates, such as former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale and Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis , who lost to Reagan and George H.W. Bush in

26901-435: The seat of war to that of an enemy who pursues us with a relentless and apparently aimless hostility." Davis's draft proclamation did not reach his generals until after they had issued proclamations of their own. They stressed that they had come as liberators, not conquerors, to these border states , but they did not address the larger issue of the Confederate strategy shift as Davis had desired. Lee's proclamation announced to

27084-470: The smallest and most ragged his army would be until the final days of the Petersburg Siege . Many brigades were the size of regiments, their regiments company-sized. Despite the ragged condition of the army, morale was high and almost all of the Confederates were veterans, which put them at an advantage over the numerous green Union regiments. The divisions of McLaws and D.H. Hill had been left in

27267-482: The south, Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws defended Crampton's Gap against Franklin, who was able to break through at Crampton's Gap, but the Confederates were able to hold Turner's and Fox's, if only precariously. (For the counter argument that the Union held Fox's Gap, see Older, Curtis L., Hood's Defeat Near Fox's Gap September 14, 1862 .) Lee realized the futility of his position against the numerically superior Union forces, and he ordered his troops to Sharpsburg. McClellan

27450-529: The start of the Battle of Antietam. The army that McClellan took into Maryland was not an entirely cohesive or battle-ready fighting force. At its core were the Peninsula veterans of the II, V, and VI Corps, but a large portion of the army were untested rookie regiments or troops who had never fought as part of the Army of the Potomac. Some of the rookies had never even loaded their muskets, and others were unknowingly armed with defective weapons. The "core" Army of

27633-406: The symbol. The rooster symbol still appears on Oklahoma, Kentucky, Indiana, and West Virginia ballots . In New York, the Democratic ballot symbol is a five-pointed star. Although both major political parties (and many minor ones) use the traditional American colors of red, white, and blue in their marketing and representations, since election night 2000 blue has become the identifying color for

27816-518: The threat since only 20 militiamen were in Chambersburg at the time. Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson was ordered to seize the Union arsenal at Harpers Ferry with three separate columns. This left only the thinly spread cavalry of Maj. Gen. J. E. B. Stuart and the division of Maj. Gen. D.H. Hill to guard the army's rear at South Mountain . The specific reason Lee chose this risky strategy of splitting his army to capture Harpers Ferry

27999-421: The three infantry corps, a lack of centralized control that had negative effects in the campaign. Parts of three corps ( III , V , and VI ) of McClellan's Army of the Potomac and Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside 's IX Corps (commanded by Maj. Gen. Jesse L. Reno ), eventually joined Pope for combat operations, raising his strength to 77,000. On the Confederate side, General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia

28182-438: The town from the east and south. The Army of the Potomac reached Frederick, Maryland , on September 13. There, Cpl. Barton Mitchell of the 27th Indiana Infantry discovered a mislaid copy of the detailed campaign plans of Lee's army— Special Order 191 —wrapped around three cigars. The order indicated that Lee had divided his army and dispersed portions geographically, thus making each subject to isolation and defeat. Upon realizing

28365-521: The troops for the defense of the capital." The appointment was controversial in the Cabinet, a majority of whom signed a petition declaring to the president "our deliberate opinion that, at this time, it is not safe to entrust to Major General McClellan the command of any Army of the United States." The president admitted that it was like "curing the bite with the hair of the dog." But Lincoln told his secretary, John Hay, "We must use what tools we have. There

28548-414: The voters of those territories did not want it. These Southern Democrats nominated the pro-slavery incumbent vice president, John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky, for president and General Joseph Lane , of Oregon, for vice president. The Northern Democrats nominated Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois for president and former Georgia Governor Herschel V. Johnson for vice president. This fracturing of

28731-527: The war only to "loyal citizens of the United States." To some soldiers, this became an informal license to pillage and steal. General Orders 7 and 11 dealt with persistent problems of Confederate guerrillas operating in the Union rear. Pope ordered that any house from which gunfire was aimed at Union troops be burned and the occupants treated as prisoners of war . Union officers were directed to "arrest all disloyal male citizens within their lines or within their reach." These orders were substantially different from

28914-556: The war philosophy of Pope's colleague McClellan, which undoubtedly caused some of the animosity between the two men during the campaign. Confederate authorities were outraged and Robert E. Lee labeled Pope a "miscreant" and added that he "ought to be suppressed." Based on his experiences in the Seven Days, Lee concluded that McClellan would not attack, and he could thus move most of his army away from Richmond. This allowed him to relocate Jackson to Gordonsville to block Pope and protect

29097-449: The war, and Jackson executed it flawlessly." Longstreet's attack on August 30, "timely, powerful, and swift, would come as close to destroying a Union army as any ever would." Pope, outmaneuvered by Lee, was virtually besieged in Washington. If it were not for his close political and personal ties to President Lincoln, his military career might have been completely ruined. Instead, he was transferred to Milwaukee, Wisconsin , and command of

29280-542: The world. The Great Depression in 1929 that began under Republican President Herbert Hoover and the Republican Congress set the stage for a more liberal government as the Democrats controlled the House of Representatives nearly uninterrupted from 1930 until 1994, the Senate for 44 of 48 years from 1930, and won most presidential elections until 1968. Franklin D. Roosevelt , elected to the presidency in 1932, came forth with federal government programs called

29463-435: The written order. Stuart was almost captured during this raid; his cloak and plumed hat did not escape, however, and Stuart retaliated on August 22 with a raid on Pope's headquarters at Catlett's Station, capturing the Union commander's dress coat. Stuart's raid demonstrated that the Union right flank was vulnerable to a turning movement, although river flooding brought on by heavy rains would make this difficult. It also revealed

29646-447: The year. The IX Corps was also being joined by Brig. Gen Jacob D. Cox 's "Kanawah" division from West Virginia, new to McClellan as well. These troops had seen no major action so far and were essentially green. The I Corps had excellent troops; as mentioned above the Pennsylvania Reserves had been in the thick of the Seven Days Battles and all three divisions were heavily engaged at Second Bull Run. McDowell however had been written off as

29829-481: Was a triumph for Lee and his two principal subordinates. Military historian John J. Hennessy described it as Lee's greatest campaign, the "happiest marriage of strategy and tactics he would ever attain." He balanced audacious actions with proper caution and chose his subordinates' roles to best effect. Jackson's flank march—54 miles in 36 hours into the rear of the Union Army—was "the boldest maneuver of its kind during

30012-467: Was added, but they would not arrive until after Antietam. The IX Corps had had two divisions at Second Bull Run (commanded by General Reno as Burnside was not present at the battle); for the Maryland campaign, it was joined by a third division under Brig. Gen Samuel Sturgis and Brig. Gen Jacob Cox 's "Kanawah" Division, on loan from the West Virginia area. It included several green regiments and

30195-531: Was certain that McClellan was leaving the Peninsula. Lee arrived at Gordonsville to take command on August 15. He massed the Army of Northern Virginia south of Clark's Mountain and planned a turning movement to defeat Pope before McClellan's army could arrive to reinforce it. His plan was to send his cavalry under Stuart, followed by his entire army, north to the Rapidan River on August 18, screened from view by Clark's Mountain. Stuart would cross and destroy

30378-789: Was constituted on June 26, from existing departments operating around Virginia, most of which had recently been outmaneuvered in Jackson's Valley campaign : Maj. Gen. John C. Frémont 's Mountain Department, Maj. Gen Irvin McDowell 's Department of the Rappahannock, Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks 's Department of the Shenandoah, Brig. Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis 's brigade from the Military District of Washington, and Brig. Gen Jacob D. Cox 's division from western Virginia. The new army

30561-418: Was divided into three corps of 51,000 men, under Maj. Gen. Franz Sigel ( I Corps ), replacing Frémont, who refused to serve under Pope (his junior in rank) and resigned his command; Banks ( II Corps ); and McDowell ( III Corps ). Sturgis's Washington troops constituted the Army reserve. Cavalry brigades under Col. John Beardsley and Brig. Gens. John P. Hatch and George D. Bayard were attached directly to

30744-510: Was dominated on all sides by higher ground. McClellan had requested permission from Washington to evacuate Harpers Ferry and attach its garrison to his army, but his request was refused by general-in-chief Henry Halleck . Lee's invasion was fraught with difficulties from the beginning. The Confederate Army's numerical strength suffered due to straggling and desertion . Although he started from Chantilly with 55,000 men, within 10 days this number had diminished to 45,000. Some troops refused to cross

30927-435: Was entitled to all the credit" for the movement and that Lee thought the proposed movement "very hazardous" and "reluctantly consented" to the movement. Pope would be forced to retreat and could be defeated while moving and vulnerable. Jackson departed on August 25 and reached Salem (present-day Marshall ) that night. On the evening of August 26, after passing around Pope's right flank via Thoroughfare Gap, Jackson's wing of

31110-421: Was flanked on August 28 by a Confederate column passing through Hopewell Gap several miles to the north and by troops securing the high ground at Thoroughfare Gap. Ricketts retired, and Longstreet's wing of the army marched through the gap to join Jackson. This seemingly inconsequential action virtually ensured Pope's defeat during the battles of August 29–30 because it allowed the two wings of Lee's army to unite on

31293-417: Was found; whose policy has been to attack and not defense.... Let us look before us, and not behind. Success and glory are in the advance; disaster and shame lurk in the rear. — John Pope, order to the "Officers and Soldiers of the Army of Virginia", July 14 After the collapse of McClellan's Peninsula campaign in the Seven Days Battles of June, President Abraham Lincoln appointed John Pope to command

31476-420: Was greatest in the two divisions of Jackson's old Valley Army due to months of unbroken fighting and marching. On September 3, just two days after the Battle of Chantilly , Lee wrote to President Davis that he had decided to cross into Maryland unless the president objected. On the same day, Lee began shifting his army north and west from Chantilly towards Leesburg, Virginia . On September 4, advance elements of

31659-535: Was learned in Baltimore that Southern armies had crossed the Potomac River, the reaction was one of instantaneous hysteria followed quickly by stoic resolution. Crowds milled in the street outside newspaper offices waiting for the latest bulletins, and the sale of liquor was halted to restrain the excitable. The public stocked up on food and other essentials, fearing a siege . Philadelphia was also sent into

31842-463: Was not able to see its passage. Kennedy's successor Lyndon B. Johnson was able to persuade the largely conservative Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and with a more progressive Congress in 1965 passed much of the Great Society , including Medicare and Medicaid , which consisted of an array of social programs designed to help the poor, sick, and elderly. Kennedy and Johnson's advocacy of civil rights further solidified black support for

32025-461: Was not pressed. In the afternoon, Burnside's IX Corps crossed a stone bridge over Antietam Creek and rolled up the Confederate right. At a crucial moment, A.P. Hill's division arrived from Harpers Ferry and counterattacked, driving back Burnside's men and saving Lee's army from destruction. Although outnumbered two to one, Lee committed his entire force, while McClellan sent in only four of his six available corps. This enabled Lee to shift brigades across

32208-470: Was on the field. When massed Confederate artillery devastated a Union assault by Porter's corps, Longstreet's wing of 28,000 men counterattacked in the largest simultaneous mass assault of the war. The Union left flank was crushed and the army driven back to Bull Run. Only an effective Union rearguard action prevented a replay of the First Bull Run disaster. Pope's retreat to Centreville was precipitous, nonetheless. The next day, Lee ordered his army to pursue

32391-422: Was organized into two "wings" or "commands" (the designation of these units as "corps" would not be authorized under Confederate law until November 1862) of about 55,000 men. The "right wing" was commanded by Maj. Gen. James Longstreet, the left by Maj. Gen. Stonewall Jackson. The Cavalry Division under Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart was attached to Jackson's wing. The Confederate organization was considerably simpler than

32574-404: Was prone to splinter along regional lines. The era of one-party rule in the United States, known as the Era of Good Feelings , lasted from 1816 until 1828, when Andrew Jackson became president. Jackson and Martin Van Buren worked with allies in each state to form a new Democratic Party on a national basis. In the 1830s, the Whig Party coalesced into the main rival to the Democrats. Before 1860,

32757-422: Was rocked by the Watergate scandal, which forced him to resign in 1974. He was succeeded by vice president Gerald Ford , who served a brief tenure. Watergate offered the Democrats an opportunity to recoup, and their nominee Jimmy Carter won the 1976 presidential election. With the initial support of evangelical Christian voters in the South, Carter was temporarily able to reunite the disparate factions within

32940-563: Was still in danger at Fairfax Courthouse , Pope ordered the retreat to continue to Washington. The northern Virginia campaign had been expensive for both sides, although Lee's smaller army spent its resources more carefully. Union casualties were 16,054 (1,724 killed, 8,372 wounded, 5,958 missing/captured) out of about 75,000 engaged, roughly comparable to the losses two months earlier in the Seven Days Battles; Confederate losses were 9,197 (1,481 killed, 7,627 wounded, 89 missing/captured) of 48,500. Edward Porter Alexander wrote: The campaign

33123-426: Was stopped, however, by the Union division of Brig. Gen. James B. Ricketts . By now Jackson had learned that Pope's corps were all together, foiling his plan of defeating each in separate actions. He remained in position until August 12, then withdrew to Gordonsville. On August 13, Lee sent Longstreet to reinforce Jackson, and on the following day Lee sent all of his remaining forces (except for two brigades) after he

33306-429: Was the bloodiest day in American military history with over 22,000 casualties. Lee, outnumbered two to one, moved his defensive forces to parry each offensive blow, but McClellan never deployed all of the reserves of his army to capitalize on localized successes and destroy the Confederates. On September 18, Lee ordered a withdrawal across the Potomac and on September 19–20, fights by Lee's rearguard at Shepherdstown ended

33489-484: Was then theoretically in a position to destroy Lee's army before it could concentrate. McClellan's limited activity on September 15 after his victory at South Mountain, however, condemned the garrison at Harpers Ferry to capture and gave Lee time to unite his scattered divisions at Sharpsburg. On September 16, McClellan confronted Lee near Sharpsburg. Lee was defending a line to the west of Antietam Creek . At dawn on September 17, Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker 's I Corps mounted

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