What were the differences between the Democrats and the Whigs?

To some
extent, the Whigs were the natural successors of the Federalist Party of John Adams, second
President of the United States. They favored commerce and manufacture over agriculture, believed
in a more centralized system of government, and harbored a deep distrust of unchecked democracy,
which they saw as potentially leading to tyranny.

Whigs tended to represent
the political and economic interests of the social elite, especially those on the East coast who
saw themselves as the natural leaders of society. But they also established a firm base of
support among the emerging middle-class, who were becoming an increasingly important segment of
society both politically and economically.

All of these characteristics set
the Whigs apart from the Democrats. Under Andrew Jackson, the Democrats became the champions of
a form of agrarian populism, which sought to protect the little guy and his interests from
bankers and plutocrats, who were frequently demonized in Democratic propaganda as using their
wealth and power to crush small farmers and tradesmen.

Democrats were also
staunch supporters of states' rights, which went down well with their Southern base, who were
constantly worried about threats to slavery posed by Northern abolitionists. Although the Whigs'
position on slavery was always rather ambiguous, there were certainly enough Whigs, especially
in New England, to make the Democrats decidedly nervous about their
intentions.