Liberal Party

Formerly the Liberal Anti-Prohibition Party, the Liberal Party is one of the most prominent third parties in the United States. It was created in opposition to Prohibition, which was passed by congress during the Presidency of John Bidwell. From 1880-1892 the party failed to gain traction, allying with the Redshirts in 1888 and failing to gather any national attention. However in 1892 the Presidential ticket of Horace Boies and Tyre York were able to win 16 electoral votes, and surging to three million votes. Boies would run again in 1896, winning 44 electoral votes.

In 1900 the party convened and nominated famous writer Mark Twain for the Presidency. However, Twain had little ambition to run for the Presidency, and thus would drive the party to endorse the Federal Republican ticket of George Dewey and Robert La Follette which would go on to win. The endorsement would slightly backfire however as Dewey would be unable to repeal prohibition, and the Federal Republican Party as whole would be taken over by prohibitionists. In 1904 the Liberal Anti-Prohibitionists would endorse William Randolph Hearst for the Presidency, which would payoff due to the fact that during his Presidency Prohibition would finally be repealed. Thus with Prohibition gone and it no longer being a nationally important issue, the LAP would ditch the 'Anti-Prohibitionist' from its name.

After the unpopularity of the Hearst Presidency and the fracture of the Farmer-Labor Party, the Liberals would come in second during the 1908 Presidential Election, with John Nance Garner as their nominee. To the disappointment of the Liberals, the Farmer-Labor Party would make a comeback and the Liberals would be relegated back to third place in 1912. They fell further as in 1916 they came in a distant fourth, losing to the Workers' Party of America for third place. This would be primarily due to the party's fracturing during their own national convention in the same year where Horace Boies would be re-nominated for the Presidency but would decline and endorse former President and Federal Republican nominee Aaron Burr Houston for the Presidency. Some Liberals led by Franklin D. Roosevelt would bolt and endorse Farmer-Labor nominee William Jennings Bryan, while some would refuse to endorse either and would support staunch Liberal Cordell Hull for the Presidency.

Following a poor showing in 1916, Garner would leave the party to lead the Federal Republicans in the House. In the midterms of 1918, the party saw an even worse showing, leaving the moribund Liberals with 3 House seats and 1 Senate seat. Along with the Union and Commonwealth Land parties, the Liberals would endorse General John A. Lejeune for the presidency in 1920 ahead of the Federal Republican and Farmer-Labor primaries. While Lejeune won the presidency, the Liberals' ticket of Lejeune and Frank D. Jackson received only 2.9% of the nationwide popular vote. After minor gains in the 1920 House elections, the Liberals would continue in their rebirth, attaining a net gain of 30 House seats and 4 Senate seats in the midterms of 1922.

Having campaigned for the party ahead of the 1922 midterms, President Lejeune would abandon his Independent affiliation to become a member of the Liberal Party in April 1923. Lejeune would join amidst calls for a merger with the Commonwealth Land Party, with the President joining representatives of both parties to formalize an indefinite agreement of alliance while formally maintaining party separation, akin to the organization of the Federal Republican Party prior to 1876.

See Commonwealth Party for events post-1923.

Liberal presidents
As of 1937, there has only been 1 Liberal president.

Current Supreme Court Justices appointed by Liberal presidents
As of 1937, only one Justice as been appointed by a Liberal President.