How did the switching of the Democratic party and the Republican party happen?

by [deleted]

So I am British, and I have been hearing in the news and elsewhere on Reddit that before the Civil War, the Republicans were against slavery, and the Democrats were for it. However afterwards, the parties slowly switched and now the modern day Democrats were once the old Republicans and vice versa. Could someone confirm if this is true, and if so how did it happen?

BuenaventuraBaez

FAQ:

Changing role of Republicans and Democrats

Can someone address a brief history of Democrats vs Republicans, specifically the change in Dems from the early 1900s being against civil rights to a more progressive party in the 50/60s leading much social change in the U.S.
It seems that during the Civil War and reconstruction era, Republicans were liberal and Democrats were conservative. When and why did this change?
How and when did the Republican Party transition into the Democratic Party we see today (and vice versa)?
I've heard that the American South used to vote solidly Democratic. What happened, when did this change?
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