• Organized by Thomas Jefferson as a Congressional Caucus to fight for the Bill of Rights and against the elite Federalist Party

• Became the "party of the common man" and was officially called the Democratic-Republicans

• Jefferson elected as the first Democratic President Negotiated the Louisiana Purchase, which included all or parts of what would become Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, lowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Colorado and Montana.

• James Madison elected President

• Won the War of 1812 Strengthened the armed forces

• James Monroe elected President Established the Monroe Doctrine, which sought to limit the European influence in Western Hemisphere affairs

• John Quincy Adams elected President Party splits as four Democratic candidates ran

• Andrew Jackson elected President
• Created the national convention process, the party platform, and reunified the Party on the issue of states' rights

• Martin Van Buren elected President

• Officially named the Democratic Party

• James Polk elected President
• Annexed the Oregon Territory
• Defeated Mexico and gained the Republic of Texas and the southwestern territories

• Franklin Pierce elected President

• James Buchanan elected President

• Democratic Party formally split over slavery Northern wing supported Stephen A. Douglas
• Southern wing supported John F. Breckenridge

• Samuel Tilden ran unsuccessfully for President, a predecessor of the Progressive reformers of the 1900s

• Grover Cleveland elected President; also elected in 1892
• Reformed the Civil Service system for government employees, reducing the number of jobs awarded on the basis of patronage

• William Jennings Bryan ran unsuccessfully for President; also ran in 1900 and 1908 Led a movement of agrarian reformers
• Supported the right of women's suffrage
• Supported the progressive graduated income tax
• Supported the direct election of Senators

• Party became predominant in local urban politics

• Woodrow Wilson elected President
• Led the country through World War I
• Fought for the League of Nations
• Established the Federal Reserve Board
• Passed the first labor and child welfare laws

• Democrats were divided over the issue of Prohibition
• Alfred Smith ran for the Presidency - first Catholic candidate
• Democrats helped to establish the first primary system

• Franklin Delano Roosevelt elected President brought the nation out of the Great Depression
• Guided us through most of World War II
• Established the Social Security System
• Established the Civilian Conservation Corps.
• Reformed the national banking system
• Established the Tennessee Valley Authority
• Established the Works Progress Administration
• Formed the National Industrial Recovery Act

• Harry S Truman became President
• Established the Marshall Plan, which rebuilt Europe after World War II
• Established the Truman Doctrine, calling for U.S. intervention where necessary to protect nations from communism
• Established the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

• Adlai Stevenson ran unsuccessfully for President; also in 1956

• Democratic-controlled Congress passed the first civil rights legislation in 85 years

• John F. Kennedy elected President

• Created the Peace Corps

• Negotiated a treaty banning atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons
• John F. Kenney assassinated, Lyndon B. Johnson became president
• Formation of the Great Society programs and the War on Poverty

• Passage of the Civil Rights Act

• Creation of Medicare

• Robert Kennedy assassinated

• Jimmy Carter elected President Negotiated Panama Canal treaties
• Negotiated Camp David peace treaties between Egypt and Israel

• Congressional Democrats helped establish a national plan for disposal of nuclear waste

• Congress, after Reagan's opposition, approved a bill establishing a national holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Democratic Presidential candidate Walter Mondale nominated Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate, the first woman vice presidential candidate

• Democratic pressure in the House led to sanctions against South Africa

• November elections converted a 53-47 Republican majority in the Senate into a 55-45 Democratic advantage

• The 100th Congress, led by Democrats, overrode Reagan's 1986 veto of the Clean Water bill

• Americans with Disabilities Act passed Head Start expanded
• Clean Air bill rewritten

• Bill Clinton elected President

• Passage of major legislative initiatives begins, led by President Clinton and the Democratic Congress:
• Economic Package: contained the largest deficit-cutting plan in history
• Student Loan Reform Act: increased access to higher education for millions
• National Service Act: helps students get tuition assistance through serving communities
• The Brady Bill: the five-day waiting period keeps convicted felons from buying guns
• National Voter Registration Act (Motor Voter): opens up access to voter registration
• Family & Medical Leave Act: offers job protection & unpaid leave during a family need

• Passage of major legislative initiatives continues: The Crime Bill: the toughest and most comprehensive crime bill ever; puts 100,000 more cops on our streets and combats domestic violence through the Violence Against Women Act.
• School-to-Work Opportunities Act: Prepares young people for their first jobs and continuing education.

• President Clinton signed the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995

• Clinton wins re-election first Democrat to do so since Roosevelt
• President Clinton signed into law the Telecommunications Bill, the first reform of the communications industry since 1934

• Clinton Administration records first budget surplus in decades

• Clinton Administration records second consecutive budget surplus

• Clinton Administration records third consecutive budget surplus
• In the 2000 elections, Democrats netted 4 additional Senate seats, one additional House seat, and one additional gubernatorial seat. Vice President Al Gore wins the popular vote for President by over 500,000 votes.

• Democrats retake control of the Senate under Majority Leader Tom Daschle
• Democrats swept to victory in races all across the nation, including races for Virginia Governor and Lt. Governor, New Jersey Governor, and 39 out of 42 major mayoral races including Los Angeles and Houston.

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