The First Political Parties

The First Political Parties

By Cedric Gillette

Opposing Parties

At that time, many Americans thought political parties were harmful to good government.

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Multiple Choice

Like George Washington, many Americans considered political parties ___________.

• unavoidable

• harmful

• necessary

• illegal

Hamilton vs. Jefferson

Washington's cabinet was clearly divided on key issues. Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson had very different views. They disagreed on economic policy and foreign relations. They did not share the same opinion on the power of the federal government or on the meaning of the Constitution. Even Washington was partisan (PAHR • tuh • zuhn)—clearly favoring one faction. The president believed he stood above politics, but he usually supported Hamilton's views.

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partisan - clearly favoring on faction or party

Multiple Choice

Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson often took the same side on issues.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Political Parties Emerge

The Democratic-Republicans, or Republicans, stood against the Federalists. Jefferson and Madison led this faction. They believed in a strict reading of the Constitution. They rejected the Federalist idea of implied powers. They believed congressional powers were limited to what is absolutely necessary to carry out the enumerated powers.

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Multiple Choice

Jefferson and Madison believed in ____________.

• a strict interpretation of the Constitution

• unlimited use of implied powers

• representative government

• the dangers of too much democracy

The Role of People

Federalists thought that educated, wealthier men should hold public officials. They did not trust ordinary people to make good decisions. In Hamilton's words, "The people are turbulent and changing; they seldom judge or determine right."

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Multiple Choice

Federalists believed that the educated, wealthier men should hold public office.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Republicans

The Republicans feared a strong central government controlled by only a few people. They believed that democracy and liberty would be safe only if ordinary people took part fully in government. As Jefferson wrote in a letter, "I am not among those who fear the people. They, and not the rich, are our dependence [what we depend on] for continued freedom."

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Multiple Choice

Which best describes the Republican beliefs about government?

• They supported the participation of an elite few in government.

• They feared the participation of ordinary people in government.

• They feared a strong central government controlled by a few.

• They supported a strong central government controlled by a few.

Federalists

One party was the Federalists. Led by Hamilton, this group favored a strong federal government. They believed the Constitution gave government "implied" powers. These implied powers are not enumerated, or listed clearly in the Constitution. Instead, Federalists believed the enumerated powers imply the power to do other things. Federalists believed Congress could make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its enumerated powers.

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distinct - clearly different from others

Multiple Choice

Alexander Hamilton believed that the federal government should act as needed to govern the country well, whether or not those actions were specifically mentioned in the Constitution.

• TRUE

• FALSE

​The Presidential Election of 1796

To prepare for the election, both parties held caucuses (KAW • kuhs • uhz). At these meetings, members of Congress and other leaders nominated, or chose, their parties' candidates for office.

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​Each party chose two presidential candidates, and the electors voted for any two. The Federalists chose John Adams and Charles Pinckney. The Republicans chose Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. There was no candidate identified as a vice presidential candidate on the ballot.

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caucus - a meeting of political party members to choose candidates for up coming elections

Multiple Choice

The presidential election of 1796 saw the first ____________.

• public riots

• party caucuses

• nominating conventions

• candidates for vice president

The XYZ Affair

The nation was in the middle of a dispute with France when Adams took office. The French viewed the 1794 Jay's Treaty as an American attempt to help the British in their war with France. To punish the United States, the French seized American ships that carried cargo to Britain. President Adams sent a team to Paris to try to resolve the dispute in the fall of 1797. French officials chose not to meet with the Americans. Instead, the French sent three agents, who demanded a bribe and a loan for France from the Americans. The Americans refused.

When Adams learned what had happened, he was furious. The president urged Congress to prepare for war. In his report to Congress, Adams used the letters X, Y, and Z in place of the French agents' names. As a result, the event came to be called the XYZ affair.

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resolve - to find a solution; to settle a conflict

Multiple Choice

The agents X, Y, and Z of the XYZ affair were British agents.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Alien and Sedition Acts

In response to these concerns, Federalists in 1798 passed the Alien and Sedition Acts. Sedition (sih • DIH • shuhn) means activities aimed at weakening the government. The Alien and Sedition Acts allowed the president to imprison aliens. The president could also deport—send out of the country— those thought to be dangerous.

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Multiple Choice

The Alien and Sedition Acts referred to activities _____________.

• aimed at weakening the government

• that protected the nation's security

• that invited aliens into the country

• designed to prevent immigration

Domestic and Foreign Affairs

The resolutions supported the principle of states' rights. This principle held that the powers of the federal government were limited to those clearly granted by the Constitution. To prevent the federal government from becoming too powerful, the states should have all other powers not expressly forbidden to them. The issue of states' rights would remain an important issue in American politics for many years.

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Multiple Choice

The principle of states' rights stated that the powers of the federal government should be limited to those clearly assigned to it by the Constitution.

• TRUE

• FALSE