The Anti-Masons were the first recognized third party. It was formed in 1828 in opposition to the Freemasons, a secret society. The disappearance of William Morgan, a former Mason who had threatened to expose secrets, fueled widespread paranoia about the shadowy group, which many believed was covertly controlling the government.

Elon Musk’s idea of launching a third political party is already hitting roadblocks—especially in New York. Despite public interest in an alternative to Democrats and Republicans, a national poll shows 77% of voters wouldn’t join a Musk-led “America Party.

Elon Musk says he's starting a new party. Many have tried before to launch third parties with little success. Is a third party possible in our political system?

There’s more to launching a third party than posting about it on social media. But Musk can still "disrupt" America’s partisan status quo.