Challange: Reverse the fate of the Whig and Democratic Party

We all know what happened to the Whig Party. Infighting and the growing popularity of abolitionism broke the party apart, several abolitionist whigs, such as Abraham Lincoln, formed the Republican party in 1854. In two years it absorbed the Whig Party and eventually the Know-Nothings. The Republican Party has been the only party in the history of the United States to go from being a third party to being a major.

Your challange is to save the Whig Party and have the Democratic Party break up instead. Your PoD can be anywhere between 1824 and 1854. Good luck.
 
technically the Republican party was never a third party, but i will give the challenge a try.
Basically, in 1835 Jackson is assassinated by Richard Lawrence. His successor, Martin Van Buren, is reelected in 1836 and goes on to fight a disastrous war with Mexico over Texas. Due to mismanagement of the war, the U.S. gains scarcely any land and thousands of soldiers are lost. Also, the depression of 1837 is even stronger. After the successful two terms of Henry Clay, the democratic party(minus the Free soilers) breaks up over the issue of the annexation of the oregon territory. The expansionist southern remnants would later form the Continental Party, which would stand for expansion. The two parties would work together during the war of Rebellion. (1856-1863)
 
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