The Rise of Political Parties (College Board AP® US History)

Summary

The United States experienced challenges as it doubled in size and began to shape its own national ideals. Two political parties, the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans, rose and fell during this time, and the Supreme Court became a more defined judicial body.

Timeline

Federalists v Democratic-Republicans 

Conflicts continued between the country’s two political parties:

• The Federalists 

  • Led by Alexander Hamilton

  • Favored a strong central government and a strong manufacturing and industrial economy

• Democratic-Republicans 

  • Led by Thomas Jefferson

  • Favored limited central government and a strong agrarian economy

Revolution of 1800 

• The election of 1800 was the first election where there were clear political opponents

• The result was the first peaceful transfer of power between political parties

• Jefferson later referred to the election as the ‘revolution of 1800’

• The voters had to choose between:

  • John Adams (incumbent president and Federalist)

  • Charles Pickney (Federalist)

  • Thomas Jefferson (incumbent vice-president and Democratic Republican)

  • Aaron Burr (Democratic Republican)

• The Federalists supported, John Adams in the election of 1800

• The Democratic-Republicans supported Thomas Jefferson to be president and Aaron Burr to be vice president

• The election was declared a tie between Jefferson and Burr

  • Under the election rules the votes did not specify which candidate should hold which office

  • After 36 rounds of balloting, the House of Representatives elected Thomas Jefferson as president and Aaron Burr as vice president

  • This led to the passage of the 12^th Amendment in 1804, requiring electors to cast separate ballots to elect a president and vice-president

• Federalists still fought in Congress to strengthen the federal government and the nation’s relationship with international powers

Whisky tax and the revolution of 1800

• A Whisky Tax had been passed in 1791

• The tax was proposed by Alexander Hamilton, leader of the Federalist party, who was Secretary of the Treasury at the time 

• It helped to pay for the costs of the election ‘revolution of 1800’

  • Western farmers often distilled extra grain into whiskey because it was easier to transport whiskey than grain

  • This decision meant the whiskey could be taxed. Farmers did not like a tax on their main crop

  • People living on the frontier also did not like the tax. They used whiskey instead of cash to pay for goods and services.

• Repeal of the Whiskey Tax 

  • Jefferson had never liked the tax on whiskey

  • In 1802 Jefferson decreased federal income from taxes that affected farmers and shifted to federal income from tariffs