The Whig party was established in 1834 as a reaction to authoritiarian policies of Andrew Jackson. The two great leaders of the party were Clay and Webster, but neither was the head of a "victorious national ticket." This failure was partly a result of the sectional variations in the party. They had only one common aim, opposition to the Democrats, and partly a result of the power held by intraparty forces opposed to them, including the political bosses of New York, Thurlow Weed, and William Seward. (Abdullah) The party went on to victory in 1840 with the rousing "Log Cabin and Hard Cider" campaign, which put William H. Harrison in the White House. (Filler, 40-46) Harrison died after only one month in office and was succeeded by his Vice President, John Tyler of Virginia. His critics even labeled him King Andrew. This was because he enraged his political peers  through his use of presidential war powers and his further actions towards the Bank of the United States, Native Americans, and the supreme court. As a result, Whigs was derived as a name of a group that opposed royal tyranny. (The Whig Party)

 

 

 

Jackson possesed a variety of followers to this new party. These included Jackson critics, states' rights advocates, and supporters of the American system. (Abdhullah) On way of thinking of this party is as descendants of the preceeding federalist power. The original federalist power had been run by Hamilton and stood for a strong federal action in response to national situations. Therefore, their democratic ideals were self improvement and power politically as it sought to please a variety of people and views. (History.com)

 

 

 

The Whig party created the Anti-Masonic party in the later part of 1836 to fight the threat of Masonic power over judicial and political associations. A few that converted to this party included William H. Seward of New York and Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania. (American Whig Party)

 

 

 

The Whigs soon experienced splitting as a result of the topic of slavery. The north became conscience whigs favoring its abolition while the cotton whigs in the south took on the opposing view. Although, eventually, they chose to totally switch parties to Democratic for the South and Republican for the north following Scott's unsuccesful showing in 1852. (Guelzo, 73-74)

 

 

 

The Whigs, in conclusion, never shared one concrete philosophy except over the ideology of opposing extremely concentrated power in the federal government. Their motives were ratther established at the termination of their party when sectionalism rises and Republicans took them on in passing a large part of the economic legislation concerning banking. (Brinkley, 217)

 

 

 

I would consider the Whigs to have been a success because they profited from what we would now call the populist vote. They were lucky to be able to cast themselves as the smaller party against the Democratic elites. 

 

 

Bibliography

Abdullah, Mansur G. "Whig Party." Britannica. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2015.

Brinkley, Alan. The Unfinished Nation: A Concise History of the American People. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2004. Print.

"The End of the Party." The American Whig Party. GMW, 2012. Web. 04 Dec. 2015.

Filler, Louis. Crusade against Slavery: Friends, Foes, and Reforms, 1820-1860. Algonac, MI: Reference Publications, 1986. Print.

Guelzo, Allen C. "The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party: Jacksonian Politics and the Onset of the Civil War by Michael Holt." 2nd ed. Vol. 22. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 73-74. The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party: Jacksonian Politics and the Onset of the Civil War by Michael Holt. Web. 04 Dec. 2015.

Whig Party Parade. Digital image. Yahoo Images. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2015.

"The Whig Party." The Whig Party. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2015.

"Whig Party." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2015.