NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Southern Democrat

Southern Democrats are members of the U.S. Democratic Party who reside in the U.S. South. The Democratic Party is one of the two major United States political parties. ... The U.S. Southern states or the South, also known colloquially as Dixie, constitute a distinctive region covering a large portion of the United States, with its own unique heritage, historical perspective, customs, musical styles, and cuisine. ...

Depending on whom is asked, the South starts at either the Mason-Dixon Line or the Potomac River. Starting at the Potomac would mean the South starts with the Commonwealth of Virginia. However, this would exclude Maryland and Delaware, two states that are still today very Democratic. So for this article's purpose, the border of the South will be the Mason-Dixon, the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland. The Mason-Dixon Line Literally, the Mason-Dixon Line (or Mason and Dixons Line) demarcated state boundaries between the Province of Pennsylvania, the Province of Maryland, Delaware Colony and parts of Virginia Colony in colonial North America and between their successor-state members of the United States. ... Upper part of the Potomac River The Potomac River flows into Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ... State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner Official languages English Area 110,862 km² (35th) - Land 102,642 km² - Water 8,220 km² (7. ... State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Official languages English Area 32,160 kmÂ² (42nd) - Land 25,338 kmÂ² - Water 6,968 kmÂ² (21%) Population (2000) - Population 5,296,486 (19th) - Density 165 /kmÂ² (5th) Admission into... State nickname: The First State Other U.S. States Capital Dover Largest city Wilmington Governor Ruth Ann Minner Official languages None Area 6,452 kmÂ² (49th) - Land 5,068 kmÂ² - Water 1,387 kmÂ² (21. ...

Early history

The Democrats have their beginnings in the South, going back to the founding of the Democratic-Republican Party in 1793 by Thomas Jefferson, a Virginian. The party was formed from former Anti-Federalist elements opposed to the policies of the Federalists. After being the dominant party in U.S. politics from 1800 to 1829, the Democratic-Republicans split into two factions in 1833; the federalist Whigs, and the Democrats. Democrats of the day were kept united only by their opposition to the Whigs and fear of encroachment of the federal government. However, by the 1850s, with the crumbling of the Whigs, infighting which was kept at bay for years burst out. Northern Democrats were in serious opposition to Southern Democrats on the issue of slavery; Northerners opposed it, and Southerners fiercely defended it. Meanwhile, remaining and former elements of the Whig party were bolting to the newly formed anti-slavery Republican Party, which was rapidly gaining influence. In the 1860 election, the Republicans nominated Abraham Lincoln, but the divide among Democrats led to the nomination of two candidates: John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky represented Southern Democrats, and Stephen Douglas of Illinois represented Northern Democrats. This splitting of the Democratic vote led to the election of Lincoln and the demise of the Democratic grip on power. The Democratic-Republican party was a United States political party, which evolved early in the history of the United States. ... 1793 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Order: 3rd President Vice President: Aaron Burr; George Clinton Term of office: March 4, 1801 â€“ March 4, 1809 Preceded by: John Adams Succeeded by: James Madison Date of birth: April 13, 1743 Place of birth: Shadwell, Virginia Date of death: July 4, 1826 Place of death: Charlottesville, Virginia First Lady... State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner Official languages English Area 110,862 kmÂ² (35th) - Land 102,642 kmÂ² - Water 8,220 kmÂ² (7. ... The Anti-Federalist Party was an unoffical coalition in late 18th Century American politics. ... The label Federalist refers to two major groups in the history of the United States of America: (1. ... The Federal Government of the United States was established by the United States Constitution. ... 1800 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1829 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1833 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The United States Whig Party was a political party of the United States. ... A federal government is the common government of a federation. ... Events and Trends Technology Production of steel revolutionised by invention of the Bessemer process Benjamin Silliman fractionates petroleum by distillation for the first time First transatlantic telegraph cable laid First safety elevator installed by Elisha Otis Science Charles Darwin publishes The Origin of Species, putting forward the theory of evolution... A monument celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, erected in Victoria Tower Gardens, Millbank, Westminster, London Look up Slavery in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Slavery is a condition of control over a person against their will, enforced by violence or other forms of coercion. ... This article is about the modern United States Republican Party. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 â€“ April 15, 1865), sometimes called Abe Lincoln and nicknamed Honest Abe, the Rail Splitter, and the Great Emancipator, was the 16th President of the United States (1861â€“1865), and the first president from the Republican Party. ... John C. Breckinridge John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821â€“May 17, 1875) was a lawyer, U.S. Representative, Senator from Kentucky, the fourteenth Vice President of the United States, and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. ... State nickname: Bluegrass State Other U.S. States Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Governor Ernie Fletcher Official languages English Area 104,749 kmÂ² (37th) - Land 102,989 kmÂ² - Water 1,760 kmÂ² (1. ... Stephen A. Douglas Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 - June 3, 1861), American politician from Illinois, was one of the Democratic Party nominees for President in 1860 (the other being John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky). ... State nickname: Land of Lincoln, The Prairie State Other U.S. States Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Governor Rod Blagojevich Official languages English Area 149,998 kmÂ² (25th) - Land 143,968 kmÂ² - Water 6,030 kmÂ² (4. ...

American Civil War

After the election of Lincoln, Southern Democrats led the charge to secede from the Union and form the Confederate States of America. The Congress was dominated by Republicans, save for Andrew Johnson of Tennessee, the only Southern senator of a state in rebellion to reject secession. The states of Missouri, Kentucky, and Delaware, despite being Southern Democratic slave states, did not approve seccession, and thus remained in the Union. The state of Maryland, dominated by Southern Democrats and days away from approving secession, was forced to remain in the Union, and so its delegation to Congress did not leave. The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the United States â€“ forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union â€“ and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ... National Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God our Vindicator) Official language English de facto nationwide Various European and Native American languages regionally Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861â€“May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861â€“April 9, 1865 Danville, Virginia April 3â€“April 10, 1865 Largest city New Orleans... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ... Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808 â€“ July 31, 1875) was the sixteenth Vice President (1865) and the seventeenth President of the United States (1865â€“1869), succeeding to the presidency upon the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. ... State nickname: Volunteer State Other U.S. States Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis (largest metropolitan area is Nashville) Governor Phil Bredesen Official languages English Area 109,247 kmÂ² (36th) - Land 106,846 kmÂ² - Water 2,400 kmÂ² (2. ... Missouri, named after the Missouri Siouan Indian tribe meaning canoe, is a Midwestern state of the United States with Jefferson City as its capital. ... State nickname: Bluegrass State Other U.S. States Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Governor Ernie Fletcher Official languages English Area 104,749 kmÂ² (37th) - Land 102,989 kmÂ² - Water 1,760 kmÂ² (1. ... State nickname: The First State Other U.S. States Capital Dover Largest city Wilmington Governor Ruth Ann Minner Official languages None Area 6,452 kmÂ² (49th) - Land 5,068 kmÂ² - Water 1,387 kmÂ² (21. ... State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Official languages English Area 32,160 kmÂ² (42nd) - Land 25,338 kmÂ² - Water 6,968 kmÂ² (21%) Population (2000) - Population 5,296,486 (19th) - Density 165 /kmÂ² (5th) Admission into... A Union is a single entity which is a collection of two or more entities. ...

Many Northern Democrats fled the party to join the Republicans. When the war was over, and the Confederacy destroyed, a deep resentment among Southern citizens towards Republicans helped fuel the Democratic Party to a majority in Congress by the 1870s and bring an end to Reconstruction. The Democrats were now the party of states rights, the party of the South, and would remain that way until the 1960s. Their dominance in Southern politics would give rise to the phrase "Solid South". Events and Trends Technology The invention of the telephone (1876) by Alexander Graham Bell. ... In the history of the United States, Reconstruction was the period after the American Civil War when the southern states of the breakaway Confederacy were reintegrated into the United States of America. ... In American politics and constitutional law, states rights are guaranteed by the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, (i. ... This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1960s. ... The phrase Solid South describes the reliable electoral support of the U.S. Southern states for Democratic Party candidates from the Reconstruction era through much of the 20th century. ...

Post-Reconstruction to modern times

At the beginning of the 20th century the Democrats, led by the dominant Southern wing, had the majority in both houses of Congress. In 1912 incumbent Republican W. Howard Taft was defeated in an electoral landslide, losing to Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat from New Jersey. And from 1912 through 1918, the three branches of government were controlled by the Democratic Party. However when the U.S. entered World War I in 1917, and with isolationism running high, the Republicans ran the 1918 election on a platform of pacifism and rejection of the internationalist sentiment favored by Wilson. The Democrats lost the Congress, and in 1920, Warren Harding was elected president in a landslide, which was widely viewed as a repudiation of Wilson's policies. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... 1912 is a leap year starting on Monday. ... Order: 27th President Vice President: James S. Sherman Term of office: March 4, 1909 â€“ March 4, 1913 Preceded by: Theodore Roosevelt Succeeded by: Woodrow Wilson Date of birth: September 15, 1857 Place of birth: Cincinnati, Ohio Date of death: March 8, 1930 Place of death: Washington D.C. First Lady... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Dr. Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856 â€“ February 3, 1924) was the 45th state Governor of New Jersey (1911-1913) and later the 28th President of the United States (1913-1921). ... State nickname: The Garden State Other U.S. States Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Governor Richard Codey (acting) Official languages None defined Area 22,608 kmÂ² (47th) - Land 19,231 kmÂ² - Water 3,378 kmÂ² (14. ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... 1917 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ... Isolationism is a diplomatic policy whereby a nation seeks to avoid alliances with other nations. ... Pacifism is opposition to the practice of war. ... Internationalism is a political movement which advocates a greater economic and political cooperation between nations for the benefit of all. ... 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 - August 2, 1923) was the 29th (1921-1923) President of the United States and the sixth President to die in office. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ...

From 1918 until 1932, the Democrats were relegated to second place status in politics, controlling no branch of the government. However, with the Stock Market Crash of 1929, Republicans lost the Congress in 1930 and the White House in 1932 by huge margins. By this time, however, the Democratic Party leadership began to change its tone somewhat. With the Great Depression gripping the nation, and with the lives of most Americans disrupted, the assisting of African-Americans in American society was seen as necessary by the new government. 1932 is a leap year starting on a Friday. ... For the protest against the Communications Decency Act, see Black World Wide Web protest. ... 1930 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... 1932 is a leap year starting on a Friday. ... The Great Depression was a massive global economic recession (or depression) that ran from 1929 to 1941. ... African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or black Americans, are an ethnic group in the United States of America whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Sub-Saharan and West Africa. ...

This new tone irked many Southern loyalists. This was the beginning of the change of the party. Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal program would unite the different party factions for over three decades, but Southerners began to see the change. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States, the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ... The New Deal was President Franklin D. Roosevelts legislative agenda for rescuing the United States from the Great Depression. ...

After World War II, the civil rights movement took hold. A new wave of young, liberal Democrats were changing the face of the party, and Southerners were feeling alienated. However, most still voted loyally for their party. The old conservative stalwarts were trying to resist the changes that were sweeping the nation. With the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it was the final straw for many Southern Democrats, who began voting against Democratic incumbents for GOP candidates. The Republicans carried many Southern states for the first time since before the Great Depression. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (over 11 miles) into the air, August 9, 1945. ... The civil rights movement in the United States has been a long, primarily nonviolent struggle to bring full civil rights and equality under the law to all citizens of United States. ... President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964. ... The Great Depression was a massive global economic recession (or depression) that ran from 1929 to 1941. ...

When Richard Nixon courted voters with his Southern Strategy, many Democrats became Republicans and the South became fertile ground for the GOP, which conversely was becoming more conservative as the Democrats were becoming more liberal. However, Democratic incumbents still held sway over voters in many states, especially those of the Deep South. In fact, until the 1980s, Democrats still had much control over Southern politics. It wasn't until the 1990s that Democratic control collapsed, starting with the elections of 1994, in which Republicans gained control of both houses of Congress, through the rest of the decade. Southern Democrats of today are mostly urban liberals, while rural residents tend to be either Republicans, although there are a sizable number of conservative Democrats. Order: 37th President Vice President: Spiro Agnew (1969â€“1973), Gerald R. Ford (1973â€“1974) Term of office: January 20, 1969 â€“ August 9, 1974 Preceded by: Lyndon B. Johnson Succeeded by: Gerald R. Ford Date of birth: January 9, 1913 Place of birth: Yorba Linda, California Date of death: April 22... In American politics, the Southern strategy refers to the focus of the Republican party on winning U.S. Presidential elections by securing the electoral votes of the U.S. Southern states. ... The Deep South is a subregion of the American South, differentiated from the Old South as being the post colonial expansion of Southern States in the antebellum period. ... // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... Events and trends The 1990s are generally classified as having moved slightly away from the more conservative 1980s, but keeping the same mind-set. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ...

A huge portion of Representatives, Senators, and voters who were referred to as Reagan Democrats in the 1980s were conservative Southern Democrats. The term Reagan Democrat is used (with caution) by psephologists and (more freely) by political commentators to describe traditionally Democratic voters, especially white working-class ones, who defected their party to support Ronald Reagan, either in the 1980 election, or, more commonly, the 1984 one. ...

Notable modern and former Southern Democrats

Lloyd Bentsen Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr. ... The United States Secretary of the Treasury is the finance minister of the Federal Government of the United States. ... Order: 39th President Vice President: Walter Mondale Term of office: January 20, 1977 â€“ January 20, 1981 Preceded by: Gerald Ford Succeeded by: Ronald Reagan Date of birth: October 1, 1924 Place of birth: Plains, Georgia First Lady: Rosalynn Carter Political party: Democratic James Earl Jimmy Carter, Jr. ... Order: 42nd President Vice President: Al Gore Term of office: January 20, 1993 â€“ January 20, 2001 Preceded by: George H. W. Bush Succeeded by: George W. Bush Date of birth: August 19, 1946 Place of birth: Hope, Arkansas First Lady: Hillary Rodham Clinton Political party: Democratic William Jefferson Clinton (born... Jefferson Davis Jefferson Davis (June 3, 1808–December 6, 1889) was an American soldier and politician. ... Office: U.S. Senator, North Carolina Political party: Democratic Term of office: January 1999 – January 2005 Preceded by: Lauch Faircloth Succeeded by: Richard Burr Date of birth: June 10, 1953 Place of birth: Seneca, South Carolina Marriage: Elizabeth Edwards Johnny Reid John Edwards (born June 10, 1953) is a former... Albert Arnold Gore Jr. ... Order: 3rd President Vice President: Aaron Burr; George Clinton Term of office: March 4, 1801 â€“ March 4, 1809 Preceded by: John Adams Succeeded by: James Madison Date of birth: April 13, 1743 Place of birth: Shadwell, Virginia Date of death: July 4, 1826 Place of death: Charlottesville, Virginia First Lady... U.S. Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence is a document in which the Thirteen Colonies declared themselves independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain and explained their justifications for doing so. ... This article is about the American politician. ... Richard Russell can refer to several people: Richard Russell, Sr. ... Lawton Chiles in an official picture taken during his first term as governor of Florida. ... Estes Kefauver Carey Estes Kefauver (July 26, 1903 - August 10, 1963) was an American politician from Tennessee. ... Albert Gore Sr. ... Paul E. Patton Paul E. Patton (born May 26, 1937) served as Democratic Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky from 1995 to 2003. ... James William Fulbright (April 9, 1905 â€“ February 9, 1995) was a well-known member of the United States Senate representing Arkansas. ... Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn (6 January 1882–16 November 1961) was a United States politician. ... Samuel Augustus Nunn (born September 8, 1938) is co-chairman and chief executive officer of the NTI (Nuclear Threat Initiative), a charitable organization working to reduce the global threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. ... Joseph Maxwell Cleland (born August 24, 1942) is an American politician of Georgia. ... James Hovis Hodges (born November 19, 1956) is a United States Democratic Party politician from South Carolina. ... Ernest Frederick Fritz Hollings (born January 1, 1922) was a Democratic United States Senator from South Carolina. ... John Cornelius Stennis (August 3, 1901 - April 23, 1995) was a Senator from the state of Mississippi. ... John Little McClellan (25 February 1896 – 28 November 1977) was a member of the US Senate|United States Senate and United States House of Representatives from Arkansas. ... Spessard Hollands official U.S. Senate portrait. ... Governor Phil Bredesen Philip Norman Bredesen (born November 21, 1943) is the 48th Governor of Tennessee. ... Gov. ... The official portrait of Gov. ... Office: Senior Senator, Arkansas Political party: Democratic Term of office: January, 1999 – Present Preceded by: Dale Bumpers Succeeded by: Incumbent (2011) Date of birth: September 30, 1960 Place of birth: Helena, Arkansas Marriage: Dr. ... Mark Lunsford Pryor (born January 10, 1963) is a politician in Arkansas. ... David Hampton Pryor (born August 29, 1934) was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives and United States Senator from the State of Arkansas. ... Dale Leon Bumpers (born 12 August 1925) was a Democratic member of the United States Senate from the State of Arkansas, and was the governor of Arkansas from 1971 to 1975. ... Alben William Barkley (November 24, 1877–April 30, 1956) was a Representative and a Senator from Kentucky and the thirty_fifth Vice President of the United States. ... John Bennett Johnston, Jr. ... Mary Loretta Landrieu (born November 23, 1955) is a Democratic United States Senator for the state of Louisiana. ... John Breaux John Berlinger Breaux (born March 1, 1944) was a United States Senator from Louisiana from 1987 until 2005. ... Edwin Washington Edwards (born 7 August 1927) is a United States politician who served as governor of Louisiana for four terms (1972 - 1980, 1984 - 1988, and 1992 - 1996), more terms than any other Louisiana governor. ... Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808 â€“ July 31, 1875) was the sixteenth Vice President (1865) and the seventeenth President of the United States (1865â€“1869), succeeding to the presidency upon the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. ... Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908–January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was an American politician. ... Zell Miller Zell Bryan Miller (born February 24, 1932) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. ... Terry Sanford Terry Sanford (20 August 1917 – 18 April 1998) was a Southern Democratic politician. ... Dick Shelby Richard Craig Dick Shelby (born May 6, 1934) is an American politician. ... Strom Thurmond James Strom Thurmond (December 5, 1902 â€“ June 26, 2003) represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from 1954 to April 1956 and November 1956 to 1964 as a Democrat and from 1964 to 2003 as a Republican. ... Mark Robert Warner (born December 15, 1954) is an American Democratic politician and the current Governor of Virginia. ... Lawrence Douglas Wilder (born January 17, 1931) is an American politician. ... Texas politician Ralph Yarborough Ralph Webster Yarborough (June 8, 1903 – January 27, 1996) was a Texas politician who served in the United States Senate (1957-1971) and was a leader of the progressive or liberal wing of the Democratic Party in Texas in his many races for statewide office. ...

Contents

Early history

American Civil War

Post-Reconstruction to modern times

Notable modern and former Southern Democrats

See also

Contents

Early history GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

American Civil War

Post-Reconstruction to modern times

Notable modern and former Southern Democrats

See also

Early history