For more than a century, the Democrat Party was widely considered one of the most racist political groups in American history—a fact that is often glossed over in modern political discussions. From its founding in the early 19th century through the Civil Rights era, the Democratic Party was the driving force behind some of the most oppressive policies in U.S. history, particularly those that supported slavery, segregation, and racial discrimination.
The Democrat Party’s Pro-Slavery Roots
The origins of the Democrat Party’s racist legacy date back to the early 1800s when it was founded as a party of states’ rights and slavery expansion. Unlike the Republican Party, which was created in the 1850s explicitly to oppose slavery, Democrats fought to protect and expand slavery at all costs.
In the 1850s, Democratic leaders pushed for laws that ensured slavery could spread into newly acquired territories. Even if settlers in these territories wanted to outlaw slavery, Democrats refused to acknowledge their choice, ensuring that slavery remained a dominant institution. This was evident in policies such as the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) and the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision (1857), which were largely supported by Democrats.
During the Civil War, Southern Democrats fiercely opposed Abraham Lincoln and the Republican-led abolitionist movement. The Confederate States, which seceded from the Union in 1861 to preserve slavery, were overwhelmingly led by Democrats who refused to accept the idea of racial equality.
Post-Civil War: Democrats & The Birth of Segregation
Even after the Civil War ended and slavery was abolished in 1865, Democrats remained hostile to Black Americans gaining rights. They opposed the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, which abolished slavery, granted citizenship to Black Americans, and protected their right to vote.
By the late 19th century, Democrats controlled the South and implemented Jim Crow laws, which enforced strict segregation and disenfranchised Black voters. Black Americans who tried to vote were met with literacy tests, poll taxes, and violent intimidation tactics by groups like the Ku Klux Klan—an organization founded by Democrat-aligned Confederate veterans.
In the U.S. Congress, Democrats fought against every major civil rights bill. They opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which sought to end racial discrimination in public accommodations. When Republicans pushed for anti-lynching legislation, Democratic lawmakers filibustered the bills—allowing white supremacist violence to continue unchecked.
The 20th Century: Democrats & Segregation
Even as the country moved into the 20th century, the Democrat Party remained staunchly segregationist. Figures like President Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat, re-segregated the federal government, while Southern Democrat governors and senators proudly enforced Jim Crow laws.
During the Civil Rights Movement, many Democrats—including powerful senators such as Robert Byrd (a former KKK member) and Strom Thurmond (who led the longest filibuster in history against the Civil Rights Act of 1957)—worked tirelessly to prevent racial integration.
It was Republican leaders like Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon who pushed for early civil rights laws, while Democrats like John F. Kennedy initially hesitated to support the movement. Even Lyndon B. Johnson, who eventually signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, had previously opposed civil rights measures for years.
The Modern Narrative: A Forgotten History
Today, the Democrat Party brands itself as the party of racial equality, but its long history of racism and oppression tells a different story. While many Democrats claim the parties “switched” after the 1960s, there is little historical evidence to support this claim. Many of the same Democrat-led institutions that once upheld segregation now push racial division through identity politics, rather than true equality.
As history continues to be rewritten, it’s important to remember the facts: The Democrat Party was a pro-slavery, pro-segregation institution for over 100 years, and its role in America’s racial struggles should never be forgotten.
