Race and Party

As we know, the 2008 presidential election was one filled with candidates we would never have expected to see on the ballot in the nineteenth century; a woman, a Mormon, and a black man. Last week in class we learned that in 1866 southern whites voted mostly Democratic. Then, in the 19th century, the Democratic Party was known as the "white mans party."
I think initially the Democratic party started out with southern support because of their original "creator," Thomas Jefferson. He believed in keeping America unindustrialized with slaves and plantations. In addition, President Abraham Lincoln was a Republican and he helped grant them freedom from slavery. Democrats represented the South and the Republicans represented the North at this time.

Ironically, in the 1930's, the tide shifted and the African American population abandoned the Republican party and started voting mostly Democratic. This could be because of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal program which provided economic relief to African Americans. The New Deal was said to give the 3 R's: Relief to the unemployed and badly hurt farmers, Reform of business and financial practices, and promote Recovery of the economy during the Great Depression. Again during the 60's African Americans voted more Democratic because of our presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson because they pushed for civil rights.
Today, the black population gives the Democratic party around 80% of their votes. Clearly they have come a long way from "the white man's party" as the winner of the 2008 Presidential Election was Barack Obama, the former senator of Illinois and also an African American man.