National Republican Party

U.S. political party formed after the Jeffersonian Republicans split in 1825.

The National Republicans included followers of John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay and opponents of Andrew Jackson. Adams, the incumbent president, ran as the party's unsuccessful candidate in the 1828 presidential election. Its 1832 presidential nominee was Clay, whose platform endorsing a high tariff, internal improvements, and the Bank of the United States (see Bank War). After losing again to Jackson, the party joined with conservatives and other anti-Jackson forces to form the Whig Party.

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▪ political party, United States

      U.S. political party formed after what had been the Republican (or Jeffersonian Republican) party split in 1825. The Jeffersonian Republicans had been the only national political party following the demise of the Federalists during the War of 1812. During the contested election of 1824, followers of Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams began calling themselves National Republicans, while backers of Andrew Jackson emerged as Democratic Republicans.

      By the election of 1828, the Jacksonians were simply called Democrats, though the name was not formalized until later. Opponents of Jackson joined the National Republican coalition and nominated Adams for a second term. Adams lost, but the National Republicans grew stronger. In 1831 they nominated Henry Clay to run on a platform endorsing the tariff, internal improvements, and the Bank of the United States.

      Jackson and the Democrats won an overwhelming victory in the election of 1832, and the National Republicans never nominated another presidential candidate. During Jackson's second administration, the National Republicans joined with northern and southern conservatives, supporters of the Bank of the United States, and other anti-Jackson groups to form a new coalition. Claiming Jackson governed as “King Andrew I,” the new party called itself the Whigs—after the British party that had opposed the power of the monarchy. By about 1834, there was little trace of the National Republican Party.

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