DIXIECRAT Meaning and
Definition
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Dixiecrat is a term used to describe a historical faction of the Democratic Party that emerged during the mid-20th century in the southern United States. Composed primarily of conservative, white Southern Democrats, Dixiecrats were known for their staunch opposition to racial integration and civil rights reforms during the 1940s and 1950s.
The term "Dixiecrat" is a combination of "Dixie," a slang term referring to the southern states, and "Democrat," representing their affiliation with the Democratic Party. These individuals, largely representing the former Confederate states, saw their political power and influence challenged by the growing momentum of the civil rights movement.
Dixiecrats were influential in the 1948 United States presidential election when they splintered from the Democratic Party and formed their own political party, known as the States' Rights Democratic Party. Their candidate, Strom Thurmond, who was then a Democratic senator from South Carolina, ran on a platform that opposed desegregation and the federal government's interference in state affairs.
Although the Dixiecrat Party was short-lived, their influence on southern politics and their resistance to civil rights reforms left a lasting impact. The term "Dixiecrat" has since come to symbolize a specific faction within the Southern Democratic Party that held conservative and racially segregated views, which diverged from the broader national platform of the Democratic Party.
Common Misspellings for DIXIECRAT
- sixiecrat
- xixiecrat
- cixiecrat
- fixiecrat
- rixiecrat
- eixiecrat
- duxiecrat
- djxiecrat
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- d9xiecrat
- d8xiecrat
- diziecrat
- diciecrat
- didiecrat
- disiecrat
- dixuecrat
- dixjecrat
- dixkecrat
- dixoecrat
Etymology of DIXIECRAT
The term "Dixiecrat" is a combination of two words: "Dixie" and "Democrat". The "Dixie" part refers to the American region known as the "Deep South", which is historically associated with the states that seceded from the United States during the American Civil War in support of slavery.
The "Democrat" part refers to the Democratic Party, one of the major political parties in the United States. However, the term "Dixiecrat" specifically emerged during the 1948 United States presidential election and refers to a splinter group of Southern Democrats who formed the States' Rights Democratic Party (SRDP) in opposition to the civil rights initiatives of the Democratic Party.
These "Dixiecrats" sought to preserve segregation and state sovereignty, opposing the increasing support for civil rights within the Democratic Party.
