The Development of America’s First Two Political Parties

Warnings Against Parties

George Washington: “However combinations or associations of the above description may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”

James Madison: “the public good is disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties…” and “…measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority.”

Partisan Events

• 1789: Ratification of the Constitution

• 1789: French Revolution

• 1789: GW becomes President, Bill of Rights added

• 1791: Hamilton creates first National Bank of the U.S.

• 1792: GW re-elected w/o opposition

• 1793: Citizen Genet tests neutrality

Partisan Events

• 1793: King Louis XVI sent to guillotine• 1794: Whiskey Rebellion put down by GW• 1794: Jay’s Treaty signed• 1796: John Adams elected President• 1798: XYZ Affair/Quasi War with France• 1798: Alien and Sedition Acts passed• 1798: Virginia/Kentucky Resolutions

passed

Alexander Hamilton

• GW declares neutrality in govt, AH takes on leadership of Federalist party

• Revolutionary war general/hero

• Had supported strong national govt at CC, rumored to have advocated for life term for president

• Key writer of Federalist Papers

• Avid newspaper/pamphlet writer

• Hamiltonian Plan:– Take over state debts– Issue new federal debt– Create National Bank– Install excise tax on liquor– Install tariff on imports– Wrote “Report on Mfg’s”

Federalist Program

• All of Hamilton’s program eventually passed

• Deal made on bill concerning assumption of state debts with Jefferson: support for bill if northern interests in Congress would allow a southern capitol (on banks of Potomac River)

• Plan also favored merchants, American mfg interests, bankers and bond (debt) holders

• Federalists quickly had control of all three branches of government as well

Opposition to Plan

• Many small landowners who had distilleries obviously opposed plan as they faced both state property taxes and the excise tax (Whiskey Rebellion, 1794)

• As a result, an opposition faction emerged calling itself the Republican Party

•This Republican Party formed committees, caucuses and societies to band together to oppose the perceived power of the Federalists

•They claimed they stood for the people against the conspiracy of the Federalists

•James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were the key leaders of the Party

•Party opposed AH’s economic vision, urban mobs and ties with monarchical British

Newspapers

• Tradition had it that politicians used the newspapers to editorialize their anonymous positions, often using names from Roman history

• These newspapers became less news and more editorial, aligned with specific politicians

• AH often wrote for/to the Gazette of the U.S. and the NY Post

• TJ and supporters often wrote for The Aurora

• Articles were often grossly inaccurate, partisan, scandalous and often libelous as there were no definite laws against this.

• Rumors about TJ’s relationship with Hemings

• AH was supposedly taking $ from England, embezzling from U.S. Treasury and planning to setup a monarchy with himself as king

Foreign Policy Problems

• French Revolution in 1789 was initially cheered by both sides, but Federalists nervous by mob rule

• Jeffersonians cheered it as victory by the democratic, anti-aristocratic forces, began to emulate the revolutionaries in dress and word

• The execution of the King in 1793 was a galvanizing moment: split the parties further

• England didn’t send an ambassador to U.S. until 1791 and was still on U.S./Canadian border

• In 1793, France and England went to war, testing our treaty with France in 1778

• Reps believed we should honor treaty, Washington wisely kept us neutral

Test of Neutrality and Unity•In 1793, Citizen Genet lands in Charleston, plans to use American ports to assist French ships, recruits for French Navy and org’s an expedition to attack Spain’s Florida

•Federalist are outraged, Reps chagrinned, support for France takes a hit

•In 1794, Britain begins seizing American ships engaged in trade with Fr. West Indies and encouraging Indians to attack Ohio River valley.

•Reps are outraged, blame Feds for not being tougher

•Neutrality being hit on all sides

Jay’s Treaty

• John Jay was a devout NY Federalist and close friend of Hamilton

• Sent by Washington to deal with problems with England

• Returns with treaty

1. Est. U.S. sovereignty over Northwest

2. Makes commercial treaty with England

3. Settles conflict with naval impressment but doesn’t get $ or agreement to stop

•Reps are furious, burning Jay in effigy and attacking Hamilton in the streets of NY

•Treaty actually a success, leading to easy Pickney’s Treaty, increased trade with England and no war

Election of 1796

• First partisan election: Reps ran Thomas Jefferson, Federalist split between John Adams and his running mate Thomas Pickney

• Hamilton disliked Adams intensely as a mediocre man and supported Pickney who stole votes from Adams.

• Adams elected but barely, JA offended at AH’s betrayal, Fed Party split• TJ receives second and therefore is named Vice President!• 12th Amendment passed in 1804 rectifies this• Adams was an aloof and paranoid individual, never could over come

problems with Hamilton or effectively repair split within Federalist Party or between Feds and Reps

Quasi-War• Relations with England improved, but France started capturing American ships

and imprisoned crews in 1796

• France also rejected Charles Pinckney, our official representative

• Many Federalist clamored for war in effort to regain momentum from Jeffersonians

•Adams tries for reconciliation by sending to France: Pinckney, John Marshall (Fed) and Elbridge Gerry (Rep)

• Upon arrival, agents of foreign minister Tallyrand demanded a loan and a bribe of $250,00 before negotiations

• Pinckney responds “No! No! Not a sixpence!”

• Adams furious, report deletes agents names calling it the ”XYZ Affair” and nation is outraged at France. Federalists gain support and Adams sends American ships to attack French ships in “Quasi-War”

•In 1800, Napoleon agrees to talk, signs new commercial agreement with U.S.

“Reign of Witches”

• America deeply divided during Adam’s presidency:– Federalists equate dissent with treason blasting Jeffersonians as “more

Frenchmen than Americans” and for bowing to “shrine of France”

– Republicans claimed Fed policies as treacherous deeds of men in league with England and bent on returning King George to power

– Roving gangs from each party patrolled big cities, attacking opponents in person and in the partisan newspapers

• Adams passes the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798:

1. Naturalization Act lengthens time for naturalization from 5 to 14 years

2. Alien Act gave president power to deport w/o hearing any foreign-born resident

3. Sedition Act rendered it a crime to speak or publish any writings against the U.S. govt

“Reign of Witches”• These Acts were focused squarely on supporters of France, the Irish who

supported Reps and Republican newspaper men who thrashed the Feds in their papers

• 10 Rep newspaper men were imprisoned, numerous foreigners sent home and Federalists attempted to shut down The Argus and The Aurora The most egregious case was against Luther Baldwin who under the spell of

strong drink, wished that the ceremonial cannon fire greeting President Adams had landed in his backside.

• Reps decried the arrogance and extreme power of Federalists to attempt to snuff out opposition by putting aside the Constitution

• Madison and Jefferson set out to write Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions anonymously, calling for state legislatures to “nullify” this federal law and calling for outright rebellion against power of the federal govt.

• Hamilton called the V/K Resolutions an attempt to bring down the Constitution.

Party Warfare• The partisan disagreements

that had destroyed people’s lives, sullied reputations and split America came to a head in 1798 during the Lyons-Griswold affair

• Matthew Lyons (Rep) mocked aristocratic sympathies of Roger Griswold (Fed)

• Griswold taunted Lyons about cowardice during Rev

• Lyon spit tobacco juice in Griswolds face

• Griswold thrashed Lyon with a hickory cane

• Lyon attacked Griswold with a set of fire tongs

Election of 1800

• The disputed election of Thomas Jefferson did little to repair the split in politics as Hamilton came to support Jefferson over both Burr and Adams as the least worst of three evils.

• TJ wins on the 36th vote in Congress after contentious debate/votes between Jefferson and Burr• Burr is ostracized from both his Republican Party despite winning the vice presidency and the Federalists, later killing Hamilton over his support of TJ and seemingly life long desire to sink Burr’s career