Two factions of the New York state Democratic Party in the 19th century. The party split over slavery in the 1840s. The conservative Hunkers (so called by their opponents as those who "hunkered" or "hankered" after political office), led by William Marcy, favoured the annexation of Texas and denounced antislavery agitation. The radical and reformist Barnburners (so called by their opponents as those who burned the barn to get rid of the rats), led by Martin Van Buren, opposed slavery's extension into new territories. At the 1848 Democratic national convention, the Barnburners joined the Free Soil Party, nominating Van Buren for president. In the 1850s some Barnburners returned to the Democratic Party while others joined the new Republican Party
If you hunker down, you bend your knees so that you are in a low position, balancing on your feet. Betty hunkered down on the floor He ended up hunkering down beside her. = squat
If you say that someone hunkers down, you mean that they are trying to avoid doing things that will make them noticed or put them in danger. Their strategy for the moment is to hunker down and let the fuss die down. = lie low
hunkers
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hunk·ers
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Etimoloji
[ 'h&[ng]-k&r ] (intransitive verb.) 1720. perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse huka to squat; akin to Middle Low German hOken to squat, peddle; more at HAWKER.