Final answer:
In the early 1900s, the United States was primarily divided between the Republican Party, strong in the North and Midwest, and the Democratic Party, dominant in the South. Minor parties occasionally emerged but failed to gain significant power. The division of political parties in the states was largely based on geographic and economic interests.
Step-by-step explanation:
Political Party Division in Early 1900s America
In the first 30 years of the 1900s, the American political landscape was primarily divided between the Republican and Democratic parties. During this era, after the critical presidential election of 1860, the Republican Party emerged from the anti-slavery movement and was associated with business interests, economic growth, and progressive ideas which attracted voters from the North and Midwest. Conversely, the Democratic Party, which had experienced a split over slavery, began to realign and consolidate its power in the South, relying on agrarian interests and traditionalist viewpoints.
Throughout this period, minor parties like the Progressive Party also arose and challenged the status quo on specific issues but struggled to establish a significant presence in the political arena. Notably, political parties at this time were becoming more adept at mobilizing and organizing voters through the use of political machines and patronage systems that rewarded party loyalty, a hallmark of the Democratic Party's rise to power.
The division of states on political parties during this time was largely geographical, with the Republican Party enjoying support in the Northern and Western states, while the Democratic Party was dominant in the Southern states, a legacy of the Civil War and Reconstruction era sentiments that lingered into the 20th century.