Timeline

Timeline of the Democratic-Republican Party, 1787 to 1856

By The editors of the Democratic Republican PartyPublished Updated How we check facts

The short answer

The party's story runs from the constitutional settlement of 1787, through the formation of a Republican opposition in the early 1790s, Jefferson's election in 1800 and 24 years of Republican presidents, to the divided election of 1824 and the new parties of the 1820s to 1850s. Every entry below is dated and linked to its source.

Historical setting

A chronology makes processes look like events. Read this one with that in mind: the party had no founding day and no dissolution day, so the entries mark moments in longer developments. The timeline begins with the Constitution, because its rules on representation and elections shaped everything after, and ends in 1856, when a new and unrelated Republican Party held its first national convention. Entries are one line each. Exact days are given only where the cited source gives them. Entries on religion and party politics are covered in the chapter on religion and the parties.

Chronology

1780s

  • 1785: About June 20, Madison writes his Memorial and Remonstrance against Virginia's proposed tax for "Teachers of the Christian Religion" founders.archives.gov.
  • 1785: On December 17, Virginia's House of Delegates passes Jefferson's Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom, 74 to 20 founders.archives.gov.
  • 1786: On January 16, the House of Delegates agrees to the Senate's amendments, completing passage of Virginia's religious freedom act founders.archives.gov.
  • 1787: At the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Madison warns that direct presidential election would disadvantage the South, where enslaved people could not vote; Akhil Reed Amar traces the Electoral College to that calculation akhilamar.com.
  • 1787: The Constitution apportions House seats counting "three fifths of all other Persons" and gives each state electors equal to its House and Senate seats archives.gov.
  • 1789: On April 1, the House of Representatives elects John Beckley of Virginia its first Clerk lva.virginia.gov.
  • 1789: Alexander Hamilton becomes Secretary of the Treasury home.treasury.gov.

1790s

  • 1790: On March 22, Thomas Jefferson enters duty as Secretary of State history.state.gov.
  • 1791: On February 23, Hamilton drafts his report defending the constitutionality of a national bank loc.gov.
  • 1791: The First Bank of the United States is established home.treasury.gov.
  • 1791: On October 31, the first number of Philip Freneau's National Gazette is published in Philadelphia masshist.org.
  • 1792: On September 22, the National Gazette prints Madison's essay "A Candid State of Parties" loc.gov.
  • 1793: In April, the German Republican Society forms in Philadelphia; in May, the Democratic Society of Pennsylvania follows philadelphiaencyclopedia.org.
  • 1793: On December 2, Albert Gallatin takes the oath as a senator from Pennsylvania history.house.gov.
  • 1793: On December 31, Jefferson leaves the State Department history.state.gov.
  • 1794: On February 28, the Senate voids Gallatin's election on citizenship grounds history.house.gov.
  • 1794: On November 19, Washington tells Congress that "certain self-created societies assumed the tone of condemnation" avalon.law.yale.edu.
  • 1795: On March 4, Gallatin begins service in the House history.house.gov.
  • 1796: Washington's Farewell Address warns against "the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally" avalon.law.yale.edu.
  • 1796: John Adams wins 71 electoral votes and Jefferson 68; Jefferson becomes vice president archives.gov.
  • 1798: On March 23, President Adams proclaims a national fast day loc.gov.
  • 1798: Congress passes the Naturalization Act (June 18), Alien Act (June 25), Alien Enemies Act (July 6), and Sedition Act (July 14) archives.gov.
  • 1798: Jefferson's draft of the Kentucky Resolutions is dated November 16 loc.gov.
  • 1798: On December 24, the Virginia Senate agrees to the Virginia Resolution avalon.law.yale.edu.
  • 1799: On December 3, Kentucky approves a further resolution on the Alien and Sedition Acts avalon.law.yale.edu.

1800s

  • 1800: The electoral vote is Jefferson 73, Burr 73, Adams 65, Pinckney 64, Jay 1 archives.gov.
  • 1800: William Linn's anonymous pamphlet Serious Considerations on the Election of a President opposes Jefferson for "open profession of Deism" founders.archives.gov.
  • 1801: On February 11, Congress meets in joint session to count the electoral votes history.house.gov.
  • 1801: On February 17, after 36 ballots, the House elects Jefferson president, with 10 states for Jefferson, 4 for Burr, and 2 making no choice archives.govhistory.house.gov.
  • 1801: On March 3, the Sedition Act expires archives.gov.
  • 1801: On March 4, Jefferson is inaugurated, the first president inaugurated in Washington millercenter.org.
  • 1801: On May 2, James Madison enters duty as Secretary of State history.state.gov.
  • 1801: Albert Gallatin becomes Secretary of the Treasury home.treasury.gov.
  • 1802: In January, Jefferson names Beckley the first Librarian of Congress lva.virginia.gov.
  • 1802: On January 1, Jefferson's reply to the Danbury Baptist Association describes "a wall of separation between Church & State" founders.archives.gov.
  • 1802: On January 3, Jefferson begins attending Sunday services in the House of Representatives loc.gov.
  • 1802: On January 4, Jefferson pays the Baptist preacher John Leland $200 for the 1,235 pound Cheshire cheese founders.archives.gov.
  • 1802: On March 16, Congress reduces the army and establishes the Military Academy at West Point millercenter.org.
  • 1802: On April 6, excise taxes, including the whiskey tax, are repealed millercenter.org.
  • 1802: On April 14, the naturalization residency requirement returns from fourteen years to five millercenter.org.
  • 1803: On February 27, Jefferson writes to William Henry Harrison about using trade debts to obtain cessions of Native land tjrs.monticello.org.
  • 1803: On April 30, the Louisiana Purchase treaty is signed archives.gov.
  • 1803: On December 9, Congress passes the 12th Amendment millercenter.org.
  • 1804: On June 15, ratification of the 12th Amendment is completed govinfo.gov.
  • 1804: On July 11, Burr mortally wounds Hamilton in a duel millercenter.org.
  • 1804: Jefferson is reelected with 162 electoral votes to 14 for Charles C. Pinckney archives.gov.
  • 1807: On March 2, Congress bans the importation of enslaved people after January 1, 1808 millercenter.org.
  • 1807: On June 22, HMS Leopard fires on the USS Chesapeake millercenter.org.
  • 1807: On September 1, Burr is acquitted of treason in Richmond millercenter.org.
  • 1807: New Jersey limits voting to "free, white males," ending voting by women and free Black residents libguides.njstatelib.org.
  • 1807: On December 22, Jefferson signs the Embargo Act millercenter.org.
  • 1808: On January 23, Jefferson writes to Samuel Miller that he has no authority to recommend a day of fasting and prayer founders.archives.gov.
  • 1808: Madison is elected with 122 electoral votes to 47 for Pinckney and 6 for George Clinton archives.gov.
  • 1809: On March 1, the Embargo is repealed and the Non-Intercourse Act signed millercenter.org.

1810s

  • 1810: On May 1, Congress passes Macon's Bill Number 2 millercenter.org.
  • 1811: On February 21 and February 28, Madison vetoes bills incorporating an Episcopal church in Alexandria and reserving land for a Baptist church in the Mississippi Territory founders.archives.govfounders.archives.gov.
  • 1811: Congress declines to renew the charter of the First Bank of the United States home.treasury.gov.
  • 1812: On June 18, Madison signs the declaration of war against Britain after votes of 79 to 49 in the House and 19 to 13 in the Senate millercenter.org.
  • 1812: On July 9, at Congress's request, Madison recommends a national "day of public Humiliation and Prayer" founders.archives.gov.
  • 1812: Madison is reelected with 128 electoral votes to 89 for DeWitt Clinton archives.gov.
  • 1814: On August 24, British forces burn the White House and the Capitol millercenter.org.
  • 1814: On December 15, the Hartford Convention issues its report millercenter.org.
  • 1814: On December 24, the Treaty of Ghent is signed archives.gov.
  • 1815: On January 8, Jackson's forces win the Battle of New Orleans millercenter.org.
  • 1816: On April 10, Madison signs the charter of the Second Bank of the United States millercenter.org.
  • 1816: Crawford receives 54 votes to Monroe's 65 in the Republican congressional caucus georgiaencyclopedia.org.
  • 1816: Monroe wins 183 electoral votes to 34 for the Federalist Rufus King archives.gov.
  • 1817: On March 3, Madison vetoes the Bonus Bill for internal improvements millercenter.org.
  • 1817: The Second Bank opens in Philadelphia in January federalreservehistory.org.
  • 1817: During Monroe's tour, the Boston Columbian Centinel describes an "Era of Good Feelings" millercenter.org.
  • 1818: On October 5, Connecticut voters ratify a new constitution, 13,918 to 12,364, ending the Congregational establishment ctexplored.org.
  • 1819: The Panic of 1819 begins millercenter.org.
  • 1819: In February, Representative James Tallmadge Jr. proposes banning further slavery in Missouri millercenter.org.
  • 1819: On March 6, the Supreme Court decides McCulloch v. Maryland archives.gov.

1820s

  • 1820: On March 6, the Missouri Compromise is approved archives.gov.
  • 1820: Monroe is reelected with 231 electoral votes to 1 for John Quincy Adams archives.gov.
  • 1821: New York's constitution drops property requirements for white men and imposes a $250 freehold requirement on Black voters albanylawreview.org.
  • 1823: On December 2, Monroe's annual message sets out the principles later called the Monroe Doctrine archives.gov.
  • 1824: Cherokee leaders arrive in Washington in January to oppose removal from Georgia millercenter.org.
  • 1824: The electoral vote is Jackson 99, Adams 84, Crawford 41, Clay 37; no candidate has a majority archives.gov.
  • 1825: On February 9, the House elects Adams with 13 states to 7 for Jackson and 4 for Crawford archives.gov.
  • 1825: On March 4, Adams is inaugurated; he names Clay secretary of state, and Jackson's supporters charge a "corrupt bargain" millercenter.org.
  • 1825: Only 298 of nearly 6,000 free adult Black New Yorkers meet the 1821 property requirement albanylawreview.org.
  • 1825: On October 1, the Tennessee legislature nominates Jackson for president millercenter.org.
  • 1828: Jackson defeats Adams, 178 electoral votes to 83 archives.gov.
  • 1828: Monroe sells the Highland farmland, and many people enslaved there are sold to the Deep South highland.org.
  • 1829: On January 19, Senator Richard M. Johnson's committee reports against stopping the Sunday mails: "Our Government is a civil and not a religious institution" dheller.org.

1830s to 1850s

  • 1830: On May 28, Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act guides.loc.gov.
  • 1831: John Quincy Adams begins service in the House history.house.gov.
  • 1832: On July 10, Jackson vetoes the recharter of the Second Bank avalon.law.yale.edu.
  • 1832: The first national nominating conventions are held; Jackson defeats the National Republican Henry Clay, 219 electoral votes to 49 millercenter.org.
  • 1832: During the cholera epidemic, Jackson declines a request to proclaim a national fast day; Henry Clay introduces a fast day resolution in Congress journalofthecivilwarera.org.
  • 1833: Massachusetts ends tax support for churches loc.gov.
  • 1834: Madison sells sixteen enslaved people to a cousin in Louisiana encyclopediavirginia.org.
  • 1836: On June 28, Madison dies millercenter.org.
  • 1836: The Second Bank's federal charter ends federalreservehistory.org.
  • 1838: In the forced removal of the Cherokee in 1838 and 1839, about 4,000 people die guides.loc.gov.
  • 1844: In May and July, nativist riots in Philadelphia burn St. Michael's and St. Augustine's Catholic churches; in Southwark, militia and rioters fight with cannon philadelphiaencyclopedia.org.
  • 1848: On February 23, John Quincy Adams dies in the Capitol history.house.gov.
  • 1854: On March 20, 54 voters meeting in Ripon, Wisconsin, agree that a new party should be formed and called "Republican" wisconsinhistory.org.
  • 1854: On May 30, the Kansas-Nebraska Act is enacted, repealing the Missouri Compromise guides.loc.gov.
  • 1854: In July, Michigan's and then Wisconsin's state Republican parties are founded wisconsinhistory.org.
  • 1856: On June 2, the Democratic platform condemns "a political crusade ... against Catholic and foreign-born" presidency.ucsb.edu.
  • 1856: On June 18, the Republican platform calls on Congress to prohibit in the territories "those twin relics of barbarism," polygamy and slavery presidency.ucsb.edu.
  • 1856: The national Republican Party is established at a convention in Pennsylvania wisconsinhistory.org.

Evidence

Dates come from three kinds of sources: official government records (the National Archives, the House and Senate historical offices, the Office of the Historian, the Treasury Department, and the House Manual), documentary editions and exhibits (the Adams Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Library of Congress, the Avalon Project), and university or state reference works (the Miller Center, the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia, the New Georgia Encyclopedia, the Dictionary of Virginia Biography, the Albany Law Review, and the Wisconsin Historical Society). Where two reputable sources give different dates for the same event, as with the 12th Amendment (passed by Congress December 9, 1803, proposed to the states December 12, 1803), the entry names the specific step that each date describes.

What the evidence does not show

The list does not mark a founding or dissolution date for the party, because none exists in the record.

Entries were chosen because they appear in this site's chapters and could be dated to a specific source. Many state elections, local events, and actions by excluded people are missing, and will be added only with the same sourcing.

The electoral vote totals are not popular vote totals. In this period some states chose electors through their legislatures, so electoral counts measure the outcome of very different state processes.

The 1854 and 1856 entries describe the founding of a different party that reused the name Republican. They are included to mark the difference, not a continuation senate.gov.

Sources

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Last checked against its sources on October 30, 2026. Report a correction.