Chapter 8, Section 3
(Pages 264–270)
The First Political Parties
Essential Question
How did the Federalist and Republican Parties form, and on what issues did
they disagree?
Directions: As you read, complete a graphic organizer like the one
below to identify the major differences between Federalists and Republicans
regarding the role of the federal government.
Federalists
Issue
1.
1.
Role of Federal
Government
2.
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Opposing Views
Circle the groups of
people who
supported the
Federalist Party.
small farmers
urban workers
Republican leaders
wealthy plantation
owners
Chapter 8, Section 3
Republicans
2.
(pages 265–268)
Most Americans admired Washington. However, some
Americans did not like his policies. Most of these people supported Thomas Jefferson. In Washington’s cabinet, Alexander
Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson often disagreed. Washington most
often supported Hamilton’s views.
Most Americans were partisan, meaning they favored one
side of an issue. By 1796, two political parties had formed. These
two parties disagreed about the role of the federal government.
The Federalists wanted a strong federal government. This
party believed in a government with implied powers. Implied
powers are powers that are not forbidden by the Constitution.
Federalist policies favored banking and shipping interests. Their
strongest supporters were wealthy plantation owners and
Americans in the Northeast. Hamilton was a Federalist.
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison organized a party that
disagreed with Hamilton. Members of this party were called the
Republicans or Democratic-Republicans. Republicans thought the
federal government should have only those powers specifically
given to it by the Constitution. This meant the central government
had limited powers. Small farmers and urban workers, especially
those in the South, agreed.
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Opposing Views
The Federalists and
Republicans
disagreed on what
two main points?
(continued)
Federalists thought that too much democracy was not a
good thing. They believed people should be represented by
honest, educated men who owned property. These people could
best protect individual liberties. They believed that ordinary
people were not dependable and had poor judgment, and that
their views could be easily swayed.
Republicans did not like the idea of just a few people having all the power. Republicans believed that ordinary people
should be involved in government. They would help protect
individual liberties and democracy.
The election of 1796 was the first election with rival political parties. Both parties prepared for the presidential election.
Republicans and Federalists met in meetings called caucuses. In
these caucuses, leaders chose their party’s candidate for office.
The Federalists nominated John Adams. The Republicans nominated Thomas Jefferson. Adams won the election. Jefferson had
the next-greatest number of electoral votes. According to the
Constitution at that time, Jefferson was made vice president.
President John Adams
After being told
about the French
agents, Adams felt
.
Write the sentence
from the text that led
you to this conclusion.
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France resented the agreement the United States had made
with Britain called Jay’s Treaty. France began to seize American
ships taking goods to Britain. In 1797 Adams sent officials to
France to discuss the problem. The French foreign minister
would not meet with them. Instead, he sent French agents to
the meeting. They demanded a bribe and asked for a loan for
France. The Americans refused and told Adams about the
meeting. Adams spoke with Congress. He named the French
agents X, Y, and Z. He told Congress to prepare for war with
France. This event was named the XYZ Affair.
Americans felt anger toward France. They began to distrust
aliens. Aliens are immigrants living in the country who are not
citizens. Americans thought some aliens would not be loyal to
the United States during a possible war with France. Federalists
passed the Alien and Sedition Acts. Sedition is an act aimed at
weakening the government. The Alien Act allowed the government to put aliens in jail or send them out of the country.
Republicans disagreed with the Federalists. They thought
these acts were unconstitutional. They responded with the Virginia
and Kentucky Resolutions. In these papers, the Republicans said
the Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional. The Kentucky
Chapter 8, Section 3
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Complete the
following sentence:
(pages 269–270)
President John Adams
(continued)
Resolutions proposed that the states nullify federal laws that
were unconstitutional. To nullify an act is to legally overturn it.
The resolutions supported the idea of states’ rights. Under
this idea, the federal government should have only those powers clearly given to it in the Constitution. The states should have
all the powers not clearly forbidden to them.
The Federalists asked Adams to declare war on France, but
he refused. Instead, he sent officials to France again. In 1800
the French agreed to a treaty. The Federalists were not happy
with Adams, however. The Federalist Party began to split.
Wrap -Up
Answer these questions to check your understanding of the entire
section.
1. Drawing Conclusions According to the Federalists, why would it be
difficult for ordinary people to be effective in governing the nation?
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
2. Identifying Central Issues Why did the Republicans protest the Alien
and Sedition Acts through the states of Kentucky and Virginia?
I nformative
Chapter 8, Section 3
In the space below, write a report for Congress detailing the XYZ
Affair. Write from the point of view of one of the American delegates
at the meeting.
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