aving ▁the ▁Democratic - Rep ublic an ▁party ▁as ▁the ▁sole ▁political ▁fa ction ) ▁was ▁the ▁United ▁States ' ▁only ▁experience ▁with ▁a ▁one - party ▁system . ▁ ▁The ▁Confeder ate ▁States ▁of ▁America ▁had ▁no ▁political ▁parties ▁during ▁its ▁entire ▁existence ▁from ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁to ▁ 1 8 6 5 . ▁Despite ▁political ▁differences ▁within ▁the ▁Confeder acy , ▁no ▁national ▁political ▁parties ▁were ▁formed ▁because ▁they ▁were ▁seen ▁as ▁il leg it imate . ▁" Ant i - party ism ▁became ▁an ▁article ▁of ▁political ▁faith ." ▁Without ▁a ▁two - party ▁system ▁building ▁alternative ▁sets ▁of ▁national ▁leaders , ▁elect oral ▁protest s ▁t ended ▁to ▁be ▁narrow ly ▁state - based , ▁" negative , ▁car ping ▁and ▁pet ty ". ▁The ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁mid - term ▁elections ▁became ▁mere ▁expressions ▁of ▁fut ile ▁and ▁fr ustr ated ▁diss atisf action . ▁According ▁to ▁historian ▁David ▁M . ▁Pot ter , ▁this ▁lack ▁of ▁a ▁function ing ▁two - party ▁system ▁caused ▁" real ▁and ▁direct ▁damage " ▁to ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁war ▁effort , ▁since ▁it ▁prevent ed ▁the ▁form ulation ▁of ▁any ▁effective ▁alternatives ▁to ▁the ▁conduct ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁by ▁the ▁Davis ▁administration . ▁ ▁Legisl ative ▁elections ▁in ▁the ▁Confeder acy ▁were ▁decided ▁without ▁political ▁parties . ▁Key ▁candidate ▁identification ▁related ▁to ▁adopt ing ▁se cess ion ▁before ▁or ▁after ▁Lincoln ' s ▁call ▁for ▁volunte ers ▁to ▁re take ▁Federal ▁property . ▁Pre vious ▁party ▁affili