The History of the DNC

The History of the DNC

The National Democratic Party started in the 1830's as a champion for the "common man" and a strong supporter of individual rights. As a firm supporter of state's rights, it also endorsed slavery. But as the saying goes, it is not where you start in life that is important, it is where you finish. As the longest continuous political party in the world, surviving almost two centuries, it has changed significantly.

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Up until the late 1940's, the party attracted those with racist views, insisted upon segregation, and opposed granting civil rights to minorities, especially African Americans. But, beginning in 1948 by several actions by President Truman, continued by President Kennedy, and placed into law by President Johnson, civil rights of the oppressed were finally fully addressed.

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In 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was enacted and this became a major turning point in the history of the Democratic Party. In the words of Lyndon Johnson (the lasting effect would be a great underestimate) "We have lost the South for a generation".

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In 1968, VP Humphrey was defeated by Richard Nixon and the "Solid South" for which its entire life had voted Democrat, switched to Republican/Independent. In this election, all of the former Confederate states (except Texas) voted for Nixon or George Wallace, an avowed segregationist.

To the present, the Democratic party continues to support the common man (and woman), but now fully endorses the famous line in the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal". We have worked hard to advance the causes of civil rights, workers' rights, and women's rights and regarding the pursuit of happiness, we have placed into law humanitarian provisions of Social Security, Medicare, and Healthcare. We are the party of FDR, John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama, and countless Americans who work every day to build a more perfect union.

For further reading see, "History of Democratic party (United States)" at Wikipedia and "Our History" @democrats.org.