▁stretch ed ▁from ▁ 1 8 5 4 ▁to ▁the ▁mid - 1 8 9 0 s , ▁and ▁was ▁character ized ▁by ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁the ▁anti - s la very ▁Republican ▁Party , ▁which ▁adopted ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁economic ▁policies ▁of ▁the ▁Wh igs , ▁such ▁as ▁national ▁banks , ▁rail ro ads , ▁high ▁tar iffs , ▁hom est ead s ▁and ▁aid ▁to ▁land ▁grant ▁colleg es . ▁The ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁was ▁in ▁large ▁part ▁the ▁opposition ▁party ▁during ▁this ▁period , ▁although ▁it ▁often ▁controlled ▁the ▁Senate ▁or ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives , ▁or ▁both . ▁ ▁Civil ▁war ▁and ▁Re const ruction ▁issues ▁polar ized ▁the ▁parties ▁until ▁the ▁Comp rom ise ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 7 , ▁which ▁ended ▁the ▁latter . ▁Thus ▁both ▁parties ▁became ▁broad - based ▁voting ▁coal itions ▁and ▁the ▁race ▁issue ▁pulled ▁newly ▁enf ranch ised ▁African ▁Americans ▁( Fre ed men ) ▁into ▁the ▁Republican ▁Party ▁while ▁white ▁southern ers ▁( R ede em ers ) ▁joined ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party . ▁The ▁Democratic ▁coal ition ▁also ▁had ▁conserv ative ▁pro - bus iness ▁Bour bon ▁Democr ats , ▁traditional ▁Democr ats ▁in ▁the ▁North ▁( many ▁of ▁them ▁former ▁Co pper head s ), ▁and ▁Catholic ▁imm igr ants , ▁among ▁others . ▁The ▁Republican ▁coal ition ▁also ▁consisted ▁of ▁business men , ▁shop ▁own ers , ▁sk illed ▁craft s men , ▁cler ks , ▁and ▁profession als ▁who ▁were ▁attract ed ▁to ▁the ▁party ' s