Bucktail Party

The Bucktail Party (also known as the Burrite Party, and later the Bonapartist Party by opponents) was an American political party primarily located in the Northeastern United States from 1800-1821. Considered an early American third party, it was started by Aaron Burr sometime in February–August 1808.

The Bucktail Party was a Northern, Anti-Slavery, Classical Liberal Party that was formed by former Vice President Aaron Burr in opposition to Democratic-Republican nominee James Madison and Federalist President Alexander Hamilton. It was created by Burr, but also Federalist and former Speaker of the House Jonathan Dayton. They ran a third party campaign in 1808 on a platform of support for rechartering the National Bank, expansionism, women's suffrage, immigration, lowering the national debt, and opposed the Chase Treaty, slavery, tariffs, the Alien and Sedition Acts, and Hamilton's expansion of federal power. The ticket was controversially endorsed by former President John Adams.

In 1813 Henry Clay's falling out with Aaron Burr reached an apogee and he left the Bucktail party, followed by several supporters. The remaining Bucktails attempted to run an anti-war campaign, but the end of the War destroyed that. Thus, the Bucktail Party effectively crumbled and had no coherent campaign during the election of 1816. The Bucktails would endorse the Democratic-Republican ticket in 1820, though it would lose to the Federalist ticket of John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay. After the election the Bucktails officially dissolved.

Notable Members

 * Aaron Burr
 * Jonathan Dayton
 * Charles Lee
 * Andrew Jackson
 * Henry Clay
 * Martin Van Buren
 * John Adams
 * DeWitt Clinton