What You Don’t Know About The History Of The Democratic National Convention

[LiberalArkie]

May 21 marks 184 years since the start of the first Democratic National Convention, which was held in Baltimore. During that 1832 gathering, the party, then known as “Republican Delegates from the Several States” officially became known as the Democratic Party, according to the Library of Congress.

Much has changed since then. As we prepare for the 47th convention July 25-28 in Philadelphia, here’s a look at some of the most interesting changes and historic moments over the years.

1835 (Baltimore): The second convention was held only three years after the first. It occurred one and a half years before the 1836 election to dissuade potential opponents to Vice President Martin Van Buren, who was President Andrew Jackson’s hand-picked successor.

1840 (Baltimore): This was the first Democratic convention that adopted a party platform. It included language about the role of the Constitution and states’ rights, declared that slavery was an issue for states to decide and opposed creation of a national bank.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/democratic-conventions-history_us_573f10d5e4b0613b5129f635