What Is The Origin Of The Democratic Mascot?

The Democratic-Republican Party split into the Jacksonian movement and the National Republican Party in 1824, eventually becoming the Democratic Party in 1828. The origins of the Democratic donkey can be traced back to Andrew Jackson’s 1828 presidential campaign, where opponents called him a jackass. At the 2008 convention in Denver, Colorado, a live donkey named Mordecai served as the party’s mascot. Both political symbols, the donkey for Democrats and the elephant for Republicans, were popularized by the same.

The most common Democratic emblem is the donkey, which was not initially meant to be flattering. Many credit political cartoonist Henry Robinson for using the donkey as a stand-in for the party as a whole in 1837. The two beasts, the former representing the Democratic Party and the latter, the Republican Party, are mainstays of America’s visual culture. The acceptance of these symbols grew out of negative comments and political cartoons.

The Democratic Party’s first symbol was the donkey, first associated with Democrat Andrew Jackson’s 1828 presidential campaign. The figure has become the common symbol of the Democratic Party since its inception. The Republican Party’s elephant is represented by an elephant, while the Democratic Party’s donkey is recognized by the symbol of a donkey. The acceptance of these symbols grew out of negative comments and political cartoons.