American politics has seen a variety of eras and massive changes happen throughout its 200+ year history. Here's a general summary of the six party systems that have existed so far.

Also known as the Founding era, Era of Good Feelings,

Main Parties: Federalists, Jeffersonian Republicans (Democratic-Republicans).

Minor but notable third parties: None

Issues of the era: Hamiltonian Banking plan, Support/Opposition to the French Revolution, the Alien and Sedition Acts, foreign problems over trade with Britain and France, Westward expansion.

Existing from 1792 to 1824 and was characterized by political conflict between the first official political parties in U.S. history, the Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans (now known as the Democratic-Republicans). Though in comparison to modern day they more resembled large factions than centralized organized parties, nominating candidates through caucuses not conventions.

Both parties were organized under the Presidency of George Washington by two of his cabinet officials. The Federalists by Treasury Secretary, Alexander Hamilton, and Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson. Much to the dismay of Washington, who detested parties and factions, going so far as to warn against them in his Farewell Address.

There were some significant differences between the two factions. Federalists primarily favored a strong central government, a national banking system, generally pro-Britain, were based primarily in the northern states such as New England, as well as having a more aristocratic feel to it. The Jeffersonian Republicans in contrast were a rural/farmer based party that favored strong state governments (usually to defend slavery), based in primarily southern and emerging western states.

Federalists were in power for the first years of the era with Washington (considered a de facto federalist) and second President of the U.S., John Adams. However they would be brought down and eventually destroyed by a variety of factors. The first being their support and creation of the Alien and Sedition Acts which made it illegal to criticize the government as well as allow the U.S. to detain or deport any immigrants deemed dangerous to the government. This was used by the Jeffersonian Republicans as a sticking point against the Federalists,especially after the crisis with France died down, during the 1800 election with the Jeffersonians winning (despite some attempted shenanigans in the Congress by the Federalists). In addition the Federalists were hindered by their own leader, Alexander Hamilton, undermining them at the election due to his personal rivalry with John Adams.The Federalists would never see such high office again after their loss in 1800, not helped when Hamilton was shot and killed in a duel with Vice-President Aaron Burr. But the real death blow would come during the War of 1812 with the Hartford Convention.

The War of 1812 and Jeffersonian Republicans weren't popular in New England, primarily due to it's trade ties with Great Britain, and the remaining Federalists in New England gathered at Hartford, Connecticut to discuss a variety of issues concerning the issues of the day (in which many extremists advocated secession from the Union). After the war ended and the victorious Battle of New Orleans, the Federalists became tarnished as traitors to the country in the midst of a war. Virtually wiped out, so bad that James Monroe (the last President of this defined era) faced no significant challenger in either of his elections.

Monroe's presidency would come to be known as the “Era of Good Feelings” as the partisan fights that defined it came to die down and as post-war patriotism spread throughout the country. It would all come to end with the 1824 election as the Jeffersonian Republicans began to break down into factions.

One notable event near the end of the era however would the Missouri Compromise, where on a deal the newly petitioned territory of Missouri would be let in but only if the free-state of Maine was let in to balance out the Senate in terms of states that supported slavery and state's that didn't. It would be only turn out to be a temporary solution.

Also known as the Age of Jackson, Antebellum era,

Main Parties: The Democratic Party, the Whig Party

Minor but notable parties: The Anti-Masonic Party, the Know-Nothings, the Free-Soil Party

Issues of the era: Voting expansion (to all white men, not just property holders), slavery, Jackson's Bank War, the Nullification Crisis, slavery, Texas and Western annexation, slavery, Mexican-American War, did I mention slavery?

The First Party System came to an end with the election of 1824 that saw the once-dominant Jeffersonian Republicans divided between four different people vying for the Presidency; John Q. Adams (son of John Adams), Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, and William Crawford. This split was due to the various groups with different belieds now under the Republican banner as it was the only relevant national political organization around.

Main Parties: The Democratic Party, the Republican Party

Minor but notable parties: The Populist Party, the Greenback Party