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"If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all."
-Thomas Jefferson

The Founders of the United States of America detested political parties as antithetical to a solid republican government. Yet, like it or not, organized parties have dominated America's political scene since our country's very inception. Not the same parties, though; over the past two-and-a-quarter centuries, the names and platforms of America's political parties have been constantly shifting, changing, evolving. As our country grows, our party system grows, and as the fundamental issues facing our nation shift, so too do party labels and alignments shift.

But how exactly has this truism manifested itself throughout America's history? How has our system of political parties evolved since our country's inception, and how has this evolution reflected the changing dilemmas that our nation has faced throughout the decades? By exploring the various political parties that have appeared throughout American history, and by examining the central themes around which these parties developed, we can begin to understand this complex issue.