Democratic Party in Wisconsin
John F. Kennedy Campaign Poster, 1960
Red, white, and blue campaign poster with black and white head shot of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, that reads, "Kennedy For President Leadership For The 60's". View the original source document: WHI 56515
Under Andrew Jackson (1829-1837), the Democratic Party espoused popular government against aristocratic rule, and won all but two presidential elections from 1837 to 1860, when many Democrats also held local office in Wisconsin.
As the Civil War approached, the national party split apart over slavery, with Southern Democrats led by Jefferson Davis and Northern Democrats by Stephen Douglas.
For almost a century, the Democratic Party was extremely weak in Wisconsin, with Republicans controlling virtually all offices until 1930, either through the traditional "stalwart" wing or the "progressive" wing of the party.
In 1934 the progressive wing broke off to form the Progressive Party, which lured many potential Democrats.
The Democratic Party was resurrected in Wisconsin after World War II by Gaylord Nelson, William Proxmire, and other modern leaders.
Learn More
Read About Progressivism and the Wisconsin Idea
Learn about the roots of the Progressive Party.See More on Gaylord Nelson
Read 'The Rise of Wisconsin's New Democrats'
Article by Richard Carlton Haney in the "Wisconsin Magazine of History," Volume 58, Number 2, Winter 1974-1975, pp 90-106. The article discusses the political realignment in the mid-twentieth century.Democratic Party in Wisconsin
See more images, essays, newspapers and records about the Democratic Party in Wisconsin.Dictionary of Wisconsin History
Explore more than 1,600 people, places and events in Wisconsin History.
[Source: Encyclopedia Britannica Online]