The+Birth+of+Political+Parties

After the Constitution was approved the people of America started to seperate into different groups based on what they thought was best for the country, or more often, their state. Soon the Federalist Party emerged from the north and east and in the south the Republican Party was formed.

[|FEDERALISTS]

The leader of the Federalist Party was Alexander Hamiltion. The Federalists were closer to modern day Republicans. The Federalists believed in industry.The believed in a loose construction of the constitution. This means that, "If it doesn't say you can't, then you can." Alexander Hamilton was hard headed and made enemies very easily. One of the many was Aaron Burr, the Vice President of the Untied States. Aaron challenged Alexander to a duel. Alexander Hamilton lost the duel and died.


 * REPUBLICANS**

The leader of the Republican Party was Thomas Jefferson. These early Republicans are closer to today's Democrats. The Republicans believed in an agrarian lifestyle, which is farming. They also believed in a strict Constitution, which means: "If the Constitution doesn't say that you can, you can't." In the Constitution it says nothing about buying land for the country, so Jefferson used a treaty to negotiate the Louisiana Purchase which was a large step towards the country that we know today.


 * NATIONAL REPUBLICANS**

The National Republican was a party that split from the Republican party in 1825. The ones that followed the old Jefferson Republican were called Democratic-Republicans or simply just Democrats. The National Republicans opposed Andrew Jackson and in 1833 changed to the Whig Party. John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay were well known members of the National Republicans.


 * DEMOCRATS (Democratic-Republican)**

The Democrats was a party split from the Republican Party and were supporters of the Old Jefferson Republican Party. Andrew Jackson was one of the leaders of the Democratic Party when it started out. The Party also traces back to the Republican party of Thomas Jefferson and is the oldest Political Party in the World. The Democratic Party is also considered as "liberals" but that term was made during FDR's New Deal era.

[|WHIGS]

The Whigs were the renamed National Republicans because they believed that Andrew Jacksons leadership was that of a monarchy like in Britain. The name Whig was based off the Whigs in England who opposed the monarchy in Britain.. The Party had 2 men elected for President, William Henry Harrison and Zachary Taylor, but they both died in office and the Vice President had to take over, John Tyler and Millard Filmore, they to were both part of the Whig Party.


 * TIME LINE OF EARLY POLITICAL PARTIES**

©EL & MG 2007