Locofocos
Encyclopedia
The Locofocos were a radical faction of the Democratic Party that existed from 1835 until the mid-1840s. The faction was originally named the Equal Rights Party
, and was created in New York City
as a protest against that city’s regular Democratic organization (“Tammany Hall
”). It contained a mixture of anti-Tammany Democrats and labor union veterans of the Working Men's Party
. They were vigorous advocates of laissez-faire
and opponents of monopoly
. Their leading intellectual was libertarian
editorial writer William Leggett
.
The term “Locofoco” derives from “locofoco, a kind of friction match,” the name of which match itself probably derives from “locomotive + Italian fuoco, foco fire, from Latin focus hearth.” It originated when a group of New York
Jacksonians
used such matches to light candles to continue a political meeting after Tammany men tried to break up the meeting by turning off the gaslights.
The Locofocos were involved in the Flour Riot of 1837
.
In the 1840 election, the term “Locofoco” was applied to the entire Democratic Party by its Whig opponents, both because Democratic President Martin Van Buren
had incorporated many Locofoco ideas into his economic policy, and because Whigs considered the term to be derogatory.
In general, Locofocos supported Andrew Jackson
and Van Buren, and were for free trade, greater circulation of specie
, legal protections for labor unions and against paper money, financial speculation, and state banks. Among the prominent members of the faction were William Leggett
, William Cullen Bryant
, Alexander Ming, Jr., John Commerford, Levi D. Slamm
, Henry K. Smith
, Isaac S. Smith, Moses Jacques, Gorham Parks
, and Walt Whitman
(then a newspaper editor).
Ralph Waldo Emerson
said of the Locofocos: “The new race is stiff, heady, and rebellious; they are fanatics in freedom; they hate tolls, taxes, turnpikes, banks, hierarchies, governors, yea, almost laws.”
Equal Rights Party (United States)
The Equal Rights Party was the name for several different nineteenth century political parties in the United States.The first party was the Locofocos, during the 1830s and 1840s....
, and was created in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as a protest against that city’s regular Democratic organization (“Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society...
”). It contained a mixture of anti-Tammany Democrats and labor union veterans of the Working Men's Party
Working Men's Party
The Working Men's Party, nicknamed the "Workies", founded in 1828, was the first labor union in the United States, located in Philadelphia. They promoted free public education as a way out of poverty. They also demanded a 10–11-hour work period and universal male suffrage. The Working Men's Party...
. They were vigorous advocates of laissez-faire
Laissez-faire
In economics, laissez-faire describes an environment in which transactions between private parties are free from state intervention, including restrictive regulations, taxes, tariffs and enforced monopolies....
and opponents of monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
. Their leading intellectual was libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
editorial writer William Leggett
William Leggett (USA)
William Leggett was an American poet, fiction writer, and journalist.-Life:Leggett attended Georgetown College in 1815–6. In 1819, after his father’s business failed, he moved with his family to Edwardsville, Illinois. In late 1822, he returned to New York to take up a naval commission as a...
.
The term “Locofoco” derives from “locofoco, a kind of friction match,” the name of which match itself probably derives from “locomotive + Italian fuoco, foco fire, from Latin focus hearth.” It originated when a group of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Jacksonians
Jacksonian democracy
Jacksonian democracy is the political movement toward greater democracy for the common man typified by American politician Andrew Jackson and his supporters. Jackson's policies followed the era of Jeffersonian democracy which dominated the previous political era. The Democratic-Republican Party of...
used such matches to light candles to continue a political meeting after Tammany men tried to break up the meeting by turning off the gaslights.
The Locofocos were involved in the Flour Riot of 1837
Flour Riot of 1837
The Flour Riot of 1837 was a riot that broke out in New York City in 1837. The riot was caused by a combination of poverty and the rising cost of flour, which had increased from $5.62 a barrel to $12 a barrel....
.
In the 1840 election, the term “Locofoco” was applied to the entire Democratic Party by its Whig opponents, both because Democratic President Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson ....
had incorporated many Locofoco ideas into his economic policy, and because Whigs considered the term to be derogatory.
In general, Locofocos supported Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
and Van Buren, and were for free trade, greater circulation of specie
Money
Money is any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange; a unit of account; a store of value; and, occasionally in the past,...
, legal protections for labor unions and against paper money, financial speculation, and state banks. Among the prominent members of the faction were William Leggett
William Leggett (USA)
William Leggett was an American poet, fiction writer, and journalist.-Life:Leggett attended Georgetown College in 1815–6. In 1819, after his father’s business failed, he moved with his family to Edwardsville, Illinois. In late 1822, he returned to New York to take up a naval commission as a...
, William Cullen Bryant
William Cullen Bryant
William Cullen Bryant was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post.-Youth and education:...
, Alexander Ming, Jr., John Commerford, Levi D. Slamm
Levi D. Slamm
Levi D. Slamm was an American labor leader, the editor of the Daily Plebeian, a radical Democrat and a leader of New York City’s Locofocos....
, Henry K. Smith
Henry K. Smith
Henry Kendall Smith was Mayor of the City of Buffalo, New York, serving 1850–1851. He was born on April 2, 1811 in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. In 1819, he was sent to Baltimore, Maryland for education and then moved to New York City in 1828. Shortly thereafter he moved to Johnstown, New York to...
, Isaac S. Smith, Moses Jacques, Gorham Parks
Gorham Parks
Gorham Parks was a U.S. Representative from Maine, and a Democratic Party candidate for Maine Governor.Born in Westfield, Massachusetts, Parks attended the common schools and graduated from Harvard University in 1813, where he studied law.He was admitted to the bar in 1819 and began his practice...
, and Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
(then a newspaper editor).
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
said of the Locofocos: “The new race is stiff, heady, and rebellious; they are fanatics in freedom; they hate tolls, taxes, turnpikes, banks, hierarchies, governors, yea, almost laws.”
See also
- Specie CircularSpecie CircularThe Specie Circular was an executive order issued by U.S. President Andrew Jackson in 1836 and carried out by President Martin Van Buren. It required payment for government land to be in gold and silver.-History:...
- Preserved FishPreserved FishPreserved Fish was a prominent New York City shipping merchant in the early 19th century. He served as president of the Bank of America, which was unrelated to the current institution of that name, and an early broker of the New York Stock & Exchange Board...
- Young America MovementYoung America movementThe Young America Movement was an American political and cultural attitude in the mid-nineteenth century. Inspired by European reform movements of the 1830s , the American group was formed as a political organization in 1845 by Edwin de Leon and George H. Evans...