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George Washington And The Turning Point Of The First Party System

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Following the end of the American Revolution, the new Constitution and its laws were implemented. This new governing document augmented the dimensions of American political life in allowing the voting citizens of the United States to partake in the idea of popular sovereignty. As the voters chose their own national leaders as well as their local and state officials, power would draw its roots to the American people. As a result of the election of 1788, there was a massive Federalist majority in the national government, with 44 of them in the House of Representatives compared to the meager 8 Antifederalists. As expected, George Washington was chosen to be president by the electoral college with John Adams as his vice president.The turning …show more content…

First, Washington held a neutral stance on political parties. The First Party System itself emerged as a result of Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality between the United States, France, and Britain. Federalists and Republicans first differed on the issue of the French Revolution and who to support between France and Britain. Washington states his own neutrality between the two nations in that proclamation, therefore stating his neutrality between the two parties as well. It is impossible for Washington to have been the turning point of the First Party System since he had no affiliation with either Federalists or Republicans. Next, Washington, in his neutral position, was also wildly popular, voted into office unanimously by the electoral college as President. With this massive popularity among the American people, Washington was also able to keep the emerging new political positions around him in check under his authority, easily allowing him to keep the United States generally …show more content…

First, all the way from its start to its finish, Federalists resented and opposed the war. Because they were well-known for their disdain for the war, Federalists relied on America losing the war to maintain their presence in the political world as a minority. Federalists maintained a pessimistic outlook towards the war. At first look, America was losing the war: they were in great debt because of it and Britain had a favorable chance of winning by 1813 because of their naval strength. In the United States, opposition to the war grew, so Federalists started to push with their advantage. Following this, Federalists from New England gathered at the Hartford Convention to discuss possibilities to "lay the foundation for a radical reform", proposing revisions on the Constitution, a limit on embargoes, and a 2/3 majority in Congress to make major decisions. The common view on the war in America besides just Federalist outlook was negative. Britain had triumphed over Napoleon in Europe, meaning that Britain was prepared to use its full army exclusively on the War of 1812. Even prominent Republican Albert Gallatin commented, "The war might prove vitally fatal to the United States." However, Britain wanted peace in 1815 because of massive debt that had been collected, so negotiations began. Before news of the treaty reached the United states, a

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