Barnburners and Hunkers

The Barnburners and Hunkers were the names of two opposing factions of the New York Democratic Party in the 1840s and early 1850s. The main issue dividing the two factions was that of slavery, with the Barnburners being the anti-slavery faction. While this division occurred within the context of New York politics, it reflected the national divisions in the Democratic Party in the years preceding the American Civil War.