AMERICAN THIRD PARTIES

ANTI-MASONIC PARTY First 3rd Party in American History Nominated William Wirt for president (with Amos Ellmaker for VP) in 1832 Formed in 1828 in upstate New York to oppose Freemasonry, specifically after the disappearance of William Morgan after Morgan wrote a book exposing the secrets of the Masons. William Palmer, governor of Vermont, was the highest elected Anti-Mason; Vermont was also the only state carried by William Wirt in 1832 The Anti-Masonic Party was the first to use Nominating Conventions and Party Platforms LIBERTY PARTY Abolitionist party that nominated James Birney, a former slaveholder, for president in 1840 & 1844. Other prominent members of the Liberty Party include Gerrit Smith, Thomas Earle, and Salmon P. Chase. FREE SOIL PARTY Anti Slavery party that advocated for the non-extension of slavery rather than the abolition of slavery. Formed by former members of the Liberty Party along with the so-called Barnburners, NY Democrats angered by their partys weak stance against slavery (Specifically the rejection of the Wilmot Proviso) In 1848, the Free Soil Party nominated former president Martin Van Buren for President with Charles Francis Adams for VP. The party also nominated John Hale for president in 1852, but the party was absorbed into the newly formed Republican Party before the 1856 Election.

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Page 2 of 3 AMERICAN PARTY Also known as the Know-Nothing Party, the American Party grew out of the anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic Order of the Star Spangled Banner. In 1856, the American Party nominated former president Millard Fillmore for president (with Andrew Donelson for VP) The American Party succeeded in electing the mayors of San Francisco, Philadelphia and Washington. The Know-Nothing J. Neely Johnson was elected Governor of California, and the party briefly won control of the Massachusetts legislature. CONSTITUTIONAL UNION PARTY Formed in 1859 to preserve the Union while at the same time remaining neutral on the slavery issue. In 1860 the Constitutional Union Party nominated John Bell for president and Edward Everett for vice president, but dissolved soon after. GREENBACK (LABOR) PARTY Founded in 1874 by farmers frustrated by the Panic of 1873, the Greenback Party called for a reintroduction of the inflationary currency of the Civil War. Its first nominee for president was Peter Cooper (1876), industrialist and inventor of the Tom Thumb locomotive. They also nominated James Weaver (1880) and Benjamin Butler (1884) Terrence Powderly, head of the Knights of Labor, won election as mayor of Scranton, PA, as a member of the Greenback-Labor Party PROHIBITION PARTY It was founded in 1869 and ran James Black as its first presidential candidate in 1872. It is the oldest continuously operational Third Party in the US, and still runs candidates each election cycle. Other notable candidates for president include John St. John, Neal Dow, and Silas Swallow. The Prohibition Partys biggest victory came with the election of Florida Governor Sidney Johnston Catts in 1917

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POPULIST PARTY Also known as the Peoples Party, it grew out of the earlier Farmers Alliance It was founded by Ignatius Donnelly and their beliefs are outlined in the Omaha Platform and the Ocala Demands Their first presidential candidate was James Weaver in 1892 (who had run in 1880 as a Greenback) William Jennings Bryan ran as a Populist in 1896 (delivering the Cross of Gold Speech) and in 1900. In both races he lost to William McKinley. Thomas Watson of Georgia ran for president as a Populist in 1904 & 1908. SOCIALIST PARTY The Socialist Party of America ran Eugene V. Debs for president in every election from 1900-1920. Norman Thomas ran for president every election year from 1928-1948 The Socialist Party also elected Emil Seidel as mayor of Milwaukee in 1910 PROGRESSIVE PARTY Progressive is a name used by three different major third parties in the 20th Century In 1912, former president Theodore Roosevelt ran as a Progressive (or Bull Moose) after failing to win the Republican bid from incumbent William Taft. During the 1912 Election, TR championed New Nationalism and was shot while campaigning in Milwaukee by John Schrank. TRs VP candidate was Hiram Johnson. In 1924, Robert LaFollette ran as a Progressive, losing to Calvin Coolidge and John Davis. His VP candidate was Burton Wheeler. In 1948, Henry Wallace ran as a Progressive. His running mate was Glen Taylor. STATES RIGHTS PARTY Also known as the Dixiecrats, the States Rights party ran Strom Thurmond and Fielding Wright in the election of 1948. The States Rights Party was a pro-segregation party of former Democrats disillusioned by Harry Trumans stance on Civil Rights. The Dixiecrats championed the so-called Southern Manifesto AMERICAN INDEPENDENT PARTY Founded by Bill Shearer in 1967 primarily as a vehicle to nominate segregationist Alabama Governor George Wallace for the presidency. Wallace ran with Air Force General Curtis LeMay in 1968, losing to Richard Nixon (R) and Hubert Humphrey (D). 2011, Academic Competition Enterprises www.acequizbowlcamp.com