Vox: 23 maps that explain how Democrats went from the party of racism to the party of Obama

Vox.com has used 23 maps to show how the Democratic Party transformed from supporting slavery to winning the minority vote.

via Vox.com The Democratic Party is the longest-existing political party in the US, and arguably the world. But in its over 180 year existence, it’s completed a remarkable ideological and geographic transformation. Originally a staunch defender of Southern slavery, the party now wins the support of most nonwhite voters. Once an advocate of rural interests against coastal elites, the party now draws much of its strength from cities and coastal areas. These maps tell the tale of the Democratic Party’s origins, its various metamorphoses, and the sources of its strength — and weaknesses — today.

Here is a summary of the key changes and map samples. For full size maps and more info, visit Vox.com.

1. Democrats: The party of Andrew Jackson
   
2. Democrats: The party of Indian removal
   
3. Democrats: The party of Manifest Destiny
4. Democrats were the party of slavery
5. The Democratic Party fractured during the Civil War
6. The Democratic domination of the South
7. The party of farmers and silver
8. Woodrow Wilson and Progressivism
9. The party elected to fight the Great Depression
10. The party of government spending
11. The party of unions
    
12. The split over civil rights
13. The (gradual) loss of the South
14. The antiwar movement
15. Democrats are strong in big cities
    
16. Richer Americans vote Republican, poorer ones vote Democratic
    
17. Democrats perform badly among evangelical Protestants
18. Few Blue Dog Democrats remain
19. The party of unions
    
20. The growth of the nonwhite electorate
    
21. Democrats and the white vote
22. Weakness in the states
23. Growth of Hispanics in key states