What were the names of the first political parties in the United States?
1 Answer
Federalists and Democratic-Republicans
Explanation:
The large divide between the first two political parties was on the size and role of the federal government. The Federalists wanted the government to increase in size and power while the Democratic-Republicans were afraid that a larger federal government would infringe on state and individual rights.
The parties were drawn out of similar ideologies from both the Constitutional Convention, and the first years of George Washington's presidency. During the making of the Constitution, there were consistent battles between Federalists and those who opposed large reforms on the limited government the United States had (they were often called Anti-Federalists, though they never adopted this name).
Eventually, the Federalists mostly won out, thanks in large part to The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, and the Constitution was ratified (after a 3 year battle). As the first president, George Washington appointed Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury, and Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State.
Hamilton was big proponent of using government to create stability, while Jefferson held much more democratic beliefs. The two disagreed constantly, and by 1792, they had formed political parties from their supporters for the Congressional Elections. Both parties supported Washington for reelection as president.
