The two-party system has been present in America for decades, and it has become one of the most prominent features of our political system. However, it has also undergone significant changes.
During the Antebellum period, the two dominant parties (Republicans and Democrats) were divided over the issue of slavery. The Republican Party was created in the late 1840s and early 1850s, and they held mostly abolitionist views. On the other hand, the Democrats consisted mostly of Southerners and rural Westerners, and they were, for the most part, pro-slavery.
During the Gilded Age, the most pressing issue was that of modernization. The Democratic Party incorporated much of the platform of the Populist Party, which tried to challenge big businesses. However, the Republicans dominated the political system between 1896 and 1932.
At the time, the Lousiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States giving her power and resources(land, water, trade routes, minerals). It also gave America access to the ports in the area greatly aiding trade. The land had belonged to France before it was sold to America, so the purchase removed their presence in the area for the most part. It also fixed ties with France who had previously asked for aid in the French Revolution to which America said no; giving France money in the form of this purchase healed the connection slightly.
The Oregon territory officially belonged to Britain, but was mostly inhabited by Native Americans. It was a very large area that caused many disputes between the European colonists due to the fur-trade. America gained the land (segments of present-day Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, and Montana) in 1859 when Oregon officially became a state. Many Native Americans were also sent here as America continued to gain territory. The giving over of the land was used to settle the boundary dispute between America and Britain.
By saying he was invited to being in jail.
