Final answer:
The Democratic Party from the 1828 election onwards united Americans by focusing on white supremacy and expansionism, avoiding the slavery issue through states' rights and personal politics, and nominating moderate candidates to retain broad support. Their policies, such as popular sovereignty, sought to balance sectional tensions until the party divided over slavery leading up to the 1860 election.
Step-by-step explanation:
Starting with the 1828 election, the Democratic Party aimed to unite Americans and sidestep the contentious issue of slavery by appealing to shared commitments to white supremacy and expansionism. They forged alliances with white working men across the North, South, and West, while maintaining a focus on personal politics that emphasized relationships over specific issues. During controversial periods, such as the 1848 election, both Democrats and Whigs selected moderate candidates to minimize sectional strife caused by slavery debates. Key strategies included endorsing the states' right to choose on slavery, avoiding well-known divisive figures, and fostering party loyalty above all.
In terms of policy, the Democrats circumnavigated slavery disputes by endorsing popular sovereignty, which held that states should have the right to decide on the slavery issue themselves. This stance was particularly marketed in the 1848 Presidential Election but extended throughout the period leading up to the Civil War. By doing so, they sought to retain Southern support while placating slavery concerns. However, as regional disagreements intensified, culminating in the 1860 presidential election, the party's unity fractured over the issue of slavery, contributing to the eventual rise of the Republican Party.