Republicanism & The First Party System THE NEW REPUBLIC

 Unity: Revolutionary Victory  Unity: New Constitution  Disunity: Internal conflicts  Disunity: Political conflicts  Disunity: Native American populations  Disunity: Ethnic and religious differences  Disunity: Slavery FORCES OF UNITY AND DISUNITY

 Very different opinions on the meaning of the word “republic” and what the American Republic should be  Common beliefs:  Good citizens have good character - virtue  Economic and political independence tied together  Make good decisions on political and economic matters  Not affected or swayed by mobs or tyrants – can protect themselves and the republic from these threats CONFLICTING VISIONS OF A REPUBLIC

 J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur’s ideas in Letters from an American Farmer? BEST AMERICANS (REPUBLICANS)?

 Who made the best republicans?  Potentially inclusive ideal: people who owned land or produced things, performed work, industrious  But fears of corruption, servility, threats to Republic led to questioning of who belonged, who didn’t:  Independent farmers?  Plantation owners in the south?  Merchants? Bankers?  Slave owners?  Workers and artisans in cities?  The rich?  The poor? Slaves? Women? Immigrants? BEST REPUBLICANS?

 Artisans, workers, small family farmers – early populists  Opposed concentrated wealth, inequality in American society:  Could corrupt the wealthy and political institutions  Could buy votes and influence  Distrusted urban merchants and bankers  Demanded government respond and serve “the people”  Many of the same people who were radical democratic Anti-Federalists RADICAL REPUBLICANISM IN THE EARLY REPUBLIC

 Wealthy landowners and merchants  Believed that those who created wealth were true republicans  True republicans opened new markets, invented new ways of making money  Business ventures and profits showed capability, ingenuity, and deserved respect  Alexander Hamilton and many former Federalists represented this view COMMERCIAL REPUBLICANS

 Most white males, whether radical or commercial republicans, agreed that the line had to be drawn excluding women and slaves  Republicanism was internal, proven through virtuous character, according to white males  So slaves and women could not be true republicans  They didn’t have land, wealth, and were “slavish,”  They acted like slaves; they were dependent on others for decisions and support  A circular argument that justified exclusion of slaves, free blacks, and women from citizenship, power, and rights  Excluded from property, neighborhoods, jobs, and citizenship (“free white persons” only, according to 1790 Naturalization Law) SLAVES AND WOMEN

 Issues and conflicts over republicanism were worked out in the political realm  Which political leaders, forms of govt. were best for the Republic?  What decisions or leaders would lead to weakness or downfall of the Republic?  Vitriolic editorials, cartoons, and articles in the press  The First Party System arose from these questions and debates  The first two major political parties in American history:  The Federalists  Democratic-Republicans THE FIRST PARTY SYSTEM

 Break up into small groups and answer the following questions for your party:  Major individuals and figures?  Major ideological or political divisions?  Major events or conflicts?  Successes or Failures?  Use info. from Ch. 8 in your textbook FIRST PARTY SYSTEM

FEDERALISTS

DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICANS