Episode 38: America's Political Parties

In his farewell address, President George Washington warned against political parties, particularly those based on geographic loyalties. However his own Cabinet fostered an intense rivalry between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. Jeffersonians formed the Democratic-Republican party, while the Hamiltonians formed the Federalist party. The Federalist Party would gradually fade into oblivion and the Democratic Party split into the Democrats and the National Republicans. The National Republicans become the Whig Party. The political and economic environment eventually kindles rivalries between the 2 parties and both evolve with respect to their beliefs and ideologies.