Development of American Political Parties The Two-Party System

USHC Standard 1: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the conflicts between regional and national interest in the development of democracy in the United States. USHC 1.6: Analyze the development of the two-party system during the presidency of George Washington, including controversies over domestic and foreign policies and the regional interests of the Democratic-Republicans and the Federalists.

What Is a Political Party? A political party is a group of citizens who agree on major issues facing the nation. These groups work to create public policies that reflect their views. Parties choose, or nominate, people they want to elect to public office. These candidates campaign to get elected. Why did the two-party system develop? As a result of different political positions on economic issues

Hamilton vs. Jefferson Who were the Federalists? • Supporters of Hamilton and a strong central government • Wealthy merchants and emerging industrialists in the North as well as a few elite southern plantation owners How did the Federalists interpret the Constitution? Federalists interpreted the Constitution loosely, and used the “elastic” clause to give the federal government more power

Hamilton vs. Jefferson Who were the Democratic-Republicans? • Also known as Jeffersonian Republicans • Supporters of Jefferson and Madison • Believed in a limited central government and strong state governments because state governments are closest to the will of the people • The “common man” including rural Northerners, Southerners and backcountry folk • Thomas Jefferson opposed the development of an industrialized country

Hamilton vs. Jefferson How did the Democratic-Republicans interpret the Constitution? Democratic-Republicans supported a strict interpretation of the Constitution

Hamilton vs. Jefferson Other disagreements: The French Revolution: A time of political upheaval in France, the absolute monarchy fell apart and tradition of monarchy and hierarchy was overthrown by new Enlightenment ideas of equality, citizenship and inalienable rights Federalists: Hamilton supported the British in their war against the excesses of the French Revolution because of long tradition and trade relations with the former mother country Democratic-Republicans: Jefferson and Madison supported the French despite the bloodshed, because the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was very similar to the Declaration of Independence and because of the French alliance during the Revolutionary War.

Hamilton vs. Jefferson This basic disagreement was made worse by certain events such as… 1. The Citizen Genet Incident: A French minister to the U.S. during the French Revolution violated an American declaration of neutrality in the conflict by commissioning privateers and making plans to use U.S. ports for a campaign against British commerce. He also began organizing American-based expeditions intended to attack Spanish and British territories. 2. Jay’s Treaty: a treaty between the United States and Great Britain that is credited with averting war, resolving issues remaining since the Treaty of Paris of 1783, which ended the American Revolution, and facilitating ten years of peaceful trade between the United States and Britain in the midst of the French Revolutionary Wars, which began in 1792

Hamilton vs. Jefferson 3. The XYZ Affair: a political and diplomatic episode in 1797 and 1798, during the administration of John Adams that Americans interpreted as an insult from France. It led to an undeclared naval war called the Quasi-War, which raged at sea from 1798 to 1800. The Federalist Party took advantage of the national anger to build an army and pass the Alien and Sedition Acts to damage the rival Democratic-Republican Party.

Hamilton vs. Jefferson 4. Alien and Sedition Acts (Federalists): were four bills passed in 1798 by the Federalists in the 5th United States Congress in the aftermath of the French Revolution and during an undeclared naval war with Britain and France, later known as the Quasi-War a. Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (Democratic-Republicans): were political statements drafted in 1798 and 1799, in which the Kentucky and Virginia legislatures took the position that the federal Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional. The resolutions argued that the states had the right and the duty to declare unconstitutional any acts of Congress that were not authorized by the Constitution. b. The controversy over the Alien and Sedition Acts (Federalists) and the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (Democratic-Republicans) led to discussions of secession and overthrowing the current U.S. government. They ultimately led to the election of Thomas Jefferson in 1800.

Hamilton vs. Jefferson MAIN IDEA: The traditional two-party system that evolved in the 1790’s became an important part of the American political system.