Comparing the Democrats and the Whigs

Students compare the Democrats and the Whigs as they explore America's Second Party System in this engaging social studies worksheet for middle grades. From 1828 to 1852, the two major parties in the U.S. were the Democrats and the Whigs in a political system historians refer to as the Second Party System. This one-page worksheet invites students to research the Second Party System in order to complete a graphic organizer that compares the two parties. Learners will explore and record key differences between the Democrats and the Whigs, including prominent party leaders, groups that supported each party, differing banking and tariff policies, each party's stance on the Mexican-American War, and whether or not each party supported the spread of slavery into new territories.