What was the turning point for rise of the Whigh party document : From 1836 to 1852, after a long lapse, two-party politics was reborn as the Whigs battled the Democrats… . Despite their essentially conservative appeal to the [wealthy], they had a following among ordinary Americans (especially in the West) who thought that the Whig road to national wealth and opportunity was the right one. Among these was an enthusiastic fan of Henry Clay named Abraham Lincoln.

Though they sounded somewhat like reincarnated Federalists, the Whigs did not—could not—make the mistake of ignoring the common voter. Even American conservatives could no longer win without wooing the humble citizen in his own language… .

The new order of things raised the status of a new kind of professional, the party worker who could organize masses of men and guarantee their “correct” vote. Political rallies became … a form of public theater, alive and clangorous, torchlit and ritualistic, parading to the beat of campaign songs under fluttering banners emblazoned with slogans and portraits.