Editing Democratic-Republican Party (section)

== Factions ==
[[File:John Wesley Jarvis - John Randolph - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|[[John Randolph of Roanoke]] was a prominent member of a group of Southern plantation owners known as the [[Old Republican]]s.]]
Historian [[Sean Wilentz]] writes that, after assuming power in 1801, the Democratic-Republicans began to factionalize into three main groups: moderates, radicals, and [[Old Republicans]].{{sfnp|Wilentz|2005|p=100}} The Old Republicans, led by [[John Randolph of Roanoke|John Randolph]], were a loose group of influential Southern plantation owners who strongly favored states' rights and denounced any form of compromise with the Federalists. The radicals consisted of a wide array of individuals from different sections of the country who were characterized by their support for far-reaching political and economic reforms; prominent radicals include [[William Duane (journalist)|William Duane]] and [[Michael Leib]], who jointly led a powerful [[political machine]] in Philadelphia. The moderate faction consisted of many former supporters of the ratification of the Constitution, including James Madison, who were more accepting of Federalist economic programs and sought conciliation with moderate Federalists.{{sfnp|Wilentz|2005|pp=105–107}}

After 1810, a younger group of nationalist Democratic-Republicans, led by Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun, rose to prominence. These nationalists favored federally funded internal improvements and high tariffs, positions that would form the basis for Clay's [[American System (economic plan)|American System]].{{sfnp|Wilentz|2005|pp=144–148}} In addition to its base among the leaders of Clay and Calhoun's generation, nationalist policies also proved attractive to many older Democratic-Republicans, including James Monroe.{{sfnp|Wilentz|2005|pp=202–203}} The Panic of 1819 sparked a backlash against nationalist policies, and many of those opposed to the nationalist policies rallied around William H. Crawford until he had a major stroke in 1823.{{sfnp|Wilentz|2005|pp=241–242}} After the 1824 election, most of Crawford's followers, including Martin Van Buren, gravitated to Andrew Jackson, forming a major part of the coalition that propelled Jackson to victory in the 1828 election.{{sfnp|Wilentz|2005|pp=294–296}}