The Birth of Mass Political Parties

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Focusing on antebellum Michigan, this study explores the emergence of mass political parties in the 1830s, highlighting the intense identification of white male voters with the Democratic and Whig parties. Ronald Formisano analyzes voter commitment and grassroots loyalties from the Jackson to Lincoln eras, suggesting that party formation was driven more by moral value conflicts, spurred by evangelicals, than by political economic issues. This examination provides insight into the social dynamics shaping American political culture during a transformative period.