Collapse of the Second Party System


1. Second Party System circa 1837 - 1852

2.  Whig Party Splits North - South

3, Northern Whigs Split into Conscience and Cotton Whigs

4. Democrats Split into Anti-Slavery (Barn Burners) and War Demos

5. Southern Whigs & Cotton Whigs defect to Democratic Party

6.  Conscience Whigs and Anti-Slavery Democrats defect to FSP

7.  Fusion parties further break-down the system early 1850s

8. 1854:  Birth of the Third Party System and the Republican Party