Chapter 8 Section 2 - The Birth of Political Parties

Summary

By 1796 Americans began to take opposing sides on issues, and two political parties emerged from the debates. The Federalists generally supported a strong central government, one that had the powers not only explicitly stated in the Constitution, but also those implied by it. The Republicans, on the other hand, wanted to limit government’s power in order to protect individual liberties. They believed that a democracy required the participation of ordinary people and not just elected representatives. In the election of 1796, Federalist John Adams had the most votes and became president. Republican Thomas Jefferson received the second highest number of votes and so became Vice President.

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Guided Reading - Chapter 8 Section 2 - The Birth of Political Parties









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