The First American Party System: A Documentary Timeline of Important Events (1787-1800)

Lesson Two of the Curriculum Unit: The First American Party System: Events, Issues, and Positions

Guiding Questions

• What constitutes a legitimate opposition in a democracy? What is a political party in a democracy?
• What differences in philosophy led to the development of the Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties?
• What events and issues were important in causing the differences in opinion?
• What were the key positions of the parties?
• What are the essential elements of an organized political party?

Learning Objectives

• Cite critical factors leading to the development of the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.
• Summarize the key positions of the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans and the reasoning behind those positions.

How the handout will be used will differ from class to class, depending largely on the background students bring to the lesson and the available time. Though not comprehensive, it attempts to provide the highlights in a brief form. It offers links to short secondary accounts and primary documents and a small selection of quotes from some of each. Several classroom options are available. The timeline can be given to students as a handout to use for reference. The class can review the entire timeline or relevant portions of it without reference to the links. Student groups or individuals can be assigned primary documents and asked to select one or two especially pertinent excerpts. (If desired, students can use the Written Document Analysis Worksheet, on the EDSITEment-reviewed website Digital Classroom, as an aid to their analysis.) Student groups or individuals can be assigned one of the five sections of the timeline to study in order to share with the class the significant events from those years. The teacher can use the timeline as the basis for a lecture or a handout custom-made for the needs of the class. Students can use the timeline as the basis for their own timeline(s) of the events they consider most significant.

However you choose to use the handout, the goal is to provide the conditions for a discussion of the following:

• What were the critical domestic events/issues that divided Federalists and Democratic-Republicans?
• What were the critical events/issues in foreign affairs that divided Federalists and Democratic-Republicans?
• In what ways were key figures connected to the domestic and foreign events that divided Federalists and Democratic-Republicans?
• What other events or circumstances, if any, should have been included in the timeline?

Assessment

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Return to curriculum unit overview: The First American Party System: Events, Issues, and Positions

Selected EDSITEment Websites

• Digital Classroom
  [http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/index.html]
  • Cartoon Analysis Worksheet
    [http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/analysis
    _worksheets/cartoon.html]
  • Document Analysis Worksheets
    [http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/analysis
    _worksheets/worksheets.html]
  • History in the Raw
    [http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/history_in_the_raw.html]
  • Written Document Analysis Worksheet
    [http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/analysis
    _worksheets/document.html]