Political Science Assignment: Democratic Republican Party History

This essay delves into the history and significance of the Democratic Republican Party, founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. It explores the party's core ideology, emphasizing political equality, westward expansion, and an agrarian economy, contrasting it with the Federalist Party's views. The essay details key events, including the election of 1800, the Louisiana Purchase, and the War of 1812, which shaped the party's trajectory. It also examines the split within the party, leading to the formation of the modern Democratic Party and the Whig Party, and analyzes the factors contributing to its decline, such as internal divisions and shifting political landscapes. The essay provides a comprehensive overview of the party's rise, dominance, and eventual fragmentation in American politics.

RUNNING HEAD: POLITICAL SCIENCE
Democratic Republican Party
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RUNNING HEAD: POLITICAL SCIENCE
Introduction:
The democratic republican party also known as American Political party was founded by
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. This party championed in political equality as well as
expansionism. After the election of 1800, the Democratic Republican Party rose into prominence
as the opposing Federalist Party collapsed. During the 1824 presidential election, the Democratic
republicans splintered eventually1. While a part of it coalesced into the modern Democratic
party, the other fraction formed the Whig part.
Ideology
According to Ralph Brown the core ideology of the party was “commitment to a broad principles
of personal liberty, social mobility and westward expansion”. According to James Reichley, the
most demarking factor that divided federalist and Jeffersonian were not the rights of the states
neither was the national debt. The core factor was, however, the question of social equality.
During the time of the rise of the Jefferson there were only few who believed in the ideology of
egalitarianism2. He was on the other hand supporter of political equality which opposed the idea
that only rich and powerful should lead the society. Such idea of society later came to be known
as Jeffersonian democracy.
According to Jefferson, a strong centralized government possesses great threat towards
the path of freedom. Thus, the parties strongly opposed the efforts of the federalist of building a
1 Dotts, Brian W. "The democratic-republican societies: An educational dream deferred." educational
HORIZONS 88, no. 3 (2010): 179-192.
2 Link, Eugene P., and Philip S. Foner. "Democratic Republican Societies, 1790-1800." (1943).

RUNNING HEAD: POLITICAL SCIENCE
centralized state. About the idea o national debt, Jefferson was on the belief that such idea is
immoral and dangerous. After the rise of the party in 1800, Jefferson was typically concerned
about the foreign intervention and advocated for various programs related to the economic
development. Jefferson was also inclined towards the promotion of a diversified economy. The
foreign policies were also a crucial factor that caused the split between democratic republican
and the Federalist Party. Federalist were fearful about the rise of egalitarian thoughts after the
French Revolution. Democratic Republican’s foreign policies were marked by support for
expansionism and defending the “Empire of Liberty”3.
Rise of conflict:
One of the earliest and most interesting divisions between the Democratic-Republicans and the
Federalists were there approach towards foreign policy regarding Britain and France. According
to the Federalists, the foreign policy should be formed keeping in mind the British interest. But
the Democratic-Republicans opposed this, according to them; the foreign policy should favor the
French, over the British. After the French Revolution of 1789, a new government had taken over
the ruling seat of France; this government was supported by the Democratic-Republicans4.
In economic matters, there was a strong difference between the Jeffersonian and the Federalists.
The Democratic-Republicans were more interested in preserving and strengthening the interest
of the working class, the farmers, the merchants and the labourers. According to them, the
citizens would be best served by an agrarian economy. The establishment of Bank of United
3 Twomey, Richard J. "The Democratic-Republican Societies, 1790-1800: A Documentary Source-book of
Constitutions, Declarations, Addresses, Resolutions, and Toasts." (1978): 413-415
4 Schoenbachler, Matthew. "Republicanism in the Age of Democratic Revolution: The Democratic-Republican
Societies of the 1790s." Journal of the Early Republic 18, no. 2 (1998): 237-261

RUNNING HEAD: POLITICAL SCIENCE
States, which had strong support from the likes of Hamilton, was seen by the Democratic-
Republicans as a way of taking away power from each of the individual states. According to
them, this establishment would really be in favor of the rich, than helping the working class.
According to the Federalists, economic self-sufficiency and domestic growth can be in the best
way possible via development of manufacturing and industry5. In 1789 the Congress had passed
a bill on protective tariffs on import, which protected domestic production. The Federalists
supported this bill fully. In 1795, Jay’s Treaty, which has had its name from John Jay, was
ratified. This ratification caused the citizens to behave angrily towards the Federalists. In the
Northwest Territories, fur trading was still in the control of British, but they during those times,
were held responsible for the Native Indian revolts against the Americans. American ships were
seized and the British ships impressed upon American sailors. Further, American ships were
being prohibited to have trade relations with the West Indies, mostly by the British ships. The
then chief justice of the U.S. Supreme court, Jay, went to England as an envoy in order to rectify
this situation. He ultimately succeeded in gaining a treaty, which gave the British a limited
amount of time for leaving the fur posts. However, unfortunately, no other issues were settled.
However, the treaty helped the Americans, but there was clause in the treaty, which asked the
U.S.A. to pay back money amounting $2.6 million to the British, in order to, settles the debts
owed from pre-Revolution times 6.
5 Miller, Gary, and Norman Schofield. "The transformation of the republican and democratic party coalitions in the
US." Perspectives on Politics 6, no. 3 (2008): 433-450.
6 Link, Eugene P., and Philip S. Foner. "Democratic Republican Societies, 1790-1800." (1943).

RUNNING HEAD: POLITICAL SCIENCE
The Jeffersonian, as well as many of the Federalists considered the treaty to be in the favour of
the British. Nevertheless, the likes of Hamilton considered the treaty necessary as the British has
been generating tariff revenues via their exports. In 1796, the second president of the United
States of America was elected, John Adams, a staunch Federalist, defeated Jefferson by three
votes, and became president with 71 votes from the electoral. Jefferson, presided over the vice-
presidential post.
In the mean time, trade and other relations with the French government deteriorated. A typical
example the weakness of Federalism, which was pointed out by the Jeffersonian was the “XYZ
affair” of 1796. A French agent had tried to take bribes in order to help Americans get French
cooperation in negotiations regarding global trade treaty; this unfortunate affair was termed as
the “XYZ affair”. Jay’s treaty had been actively pro-British; this had angered the French, who
started interfering with the American trade ships. When American officials were sent to France
in order to simplify matters, the French government not only asked for a load, but also asked a
bribe of $240,0007.
Rise in Power of Democratic Republican:
In spite of having a strong opposing public views about the French, President Adams tried to
resolve this French situation diplomatically8. This caused a rift amongst the Federalists, many of
7 Wolford, Thorp Lanier. "Democratic-Republican Reaction in Massachusetts to the Embargo of 1807." The New
England Quarterly 15, no. 1 (1942): 35-61
8 Sioli, Marco M. "The Democratic Republican Societies at the End of the Eighteenth Century: The Western
Pennsylvania Experience." Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies 60, no. 3 (1993): 288-304.

RUNNING HEAD: POLITICAL SCIENCE
whom thought that the best course of action would be to declare war against the French. As a
result in the 1800 presidential election, Adams lost to Jefferson. In the Congress a majority of
seats were won by the Democratic-Republicans.
History of Rise and fall:
Alexander Hamilton was the Secretary of the Treasury under during the time when George
Washington was president. Under the leadership of likes of Hamilton, the Federalists improved
upon themselves to become a political party having a strong political agenda, changing from
their idealist stand point. Thomas Jefferson, the Secretary of State and the most important
political opponent of Hamilton, started grouping the Anti-Federalists into forming a political
party, namely the Democratic-Republican Party. According to Jefferson, the central should not
be all-powerful; rather power should reside with the states, while keeping inside the federalism
ideology. He believed that the government should be formed around the worker and farmers,
based upon the virtues of citizenship. He feared that a strong central government would form a
basis of corruption and would result in power abuses. James Madison, another Congressman and
a compatriot of Jefferson, was a crucial founding member of this party. Despite the warnings in
the farewell speech of Washington, about dangers of creation of political parties, a power
struggle ensured between the Democratic-Republicans and the Federalists, which resulted in
Jefferson and his party emerging victorious after the 1800s 9.
Democratic-Republicans were in favor of making U.S. economy agriculture based. They argued
that U.S. should aim to become the largest agricultural supplier in the world. They also said that
9 Marco M. "The Democratic Republican Societies at the End of the Eighteenth Century: The Western Pennsylvania
Experience." Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies 60, no. 3 (1993): 288-304

RUNNING HEAD: POLITICAL SCIENCE
if there were surplus produce then it should be exported, and the earnings should be used for
buying manufactured industrial goods from Europe10.
Federalists were somewhat less egalitarian than the Democratic-Republicans. According to
Jefferson all adult white male American citizen who owned a minimal property should be
eligible to vote as well as serve in the elected office. According to the Democratic-Republicans,
all families in the US should hold their own farm. Further, according to Jefferson, people
belonging to the working class would put the public gain above their personal gain, if they could
easily feed and provide for their families via their family farm and property11.
Citizens of US during the late 1780s at that time following in the footsteps of the example set the
citizens of France, passing through a revolution of their own. The Democratic - Republican Party
wanted them to align with the French with respect to political ideology. However, in the
economical side of views they wanted the country to remain an agricultural powerhouse, which
was a totally in difference with the economical ideologies of both Britain and France of that
time.
For the next two decades, the party headed by Jefferson dominated the American politics. One of
the main reason being the Jeffersonian ability to adapt to changing conditions and evolve with
10 Prince, Carl E. "Patronage and a Party Machine: New Jersey Democratic-Republican Activists, 1801-1816." The
William and Mary Quarterly: A Magazine of Early American History (1964): 571-578.
11 Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History: One Volume. WW Norton & Company, 2016.

RUNNING HEAD: POLITICAL SCIENCE
the times. An example of such adaptability was the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. To remove the
danger of having a French colony of imperialist nature on the border, it was imperative that to
purchase the land of about 828,000 square miles for a bargained price of $15 million.
Nevertheless, as a President, Jefferson felt that he was not entitled to make such a huge purchase.
But later understanding the importance of such a purchase on the country that he leaded, he took
a stand against his partisan instinct and bought the land 12.
James Madison, successor to Jefferson, fought the British overseas and had to fight a political
war against the Federalists at home, in 1812. Federalists, most of them from the New England
states, conjectured that the overseas war would damage their trade relations thereby hampering
trade and business with the European Nations. To most of the Americans, the end of the war was
perceived as a victory over the British, which thereby proved the anti-war stand of Federalists to
be extremely unpopular. As a result, in 1816 presidential elections, the Federalists were defeated
by big margins. James Monroe, the newly elected president reigned over a time of political
calmness. During his tenure, many Federalists started supporting the Republican ideology. This
period of political calmness was known as the “Era of Good Feeling”. Munroe in his two terms
enjoyed widespread support, but various groups with different ideologies were forming inside his
own party 13.
John Quincy Adams was the next elected president, elected during the presidential polls of 1824.
By as small margin he had defeated Andrew Jackson, a hero from the war of 1812. Though both
12 Twomey, Richard J. "The Democratic-Republican Societies, 1790-1800: A Documentary Source-book of
Constitutions, Declarations, Addresses, Resolutions, and Toasts." (1978): 413-415
13 Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History: One Volume. WW Norton & Company, 2016.

RUNNING HEAD: POLITICAL SCIENCE
belonged to the same Democratic - Republican Party, their ideologies were starkly different14.
Adams’ political ideology was similar to that of the Federalists, and it is during his time that the
part differentiated into two distinct factions. In the 1828 elections, Jackson, coming from the
Democrats ran and won the election. The part of the party that supported Adams became widely
known as the National Republicans, whose party members later formed the Whig Party.
The fall of Democratic Republicans:
Adams advocated the goal of ending the partition conflict that was proposed initially by
Munroe. In his cabinet he included people from various regional as well as ideological
backgrounds. He was also in support of investments of internal improvement like Navy
academy, national university, astronomical observatories etc. his ambitious agendas created a
spur within the congress and an anti Adams coalition to be formed. The supporter of Crawford,
Jackson and the vice president Calhoun mainly formed this coalition. It was decided that in the
1828 election, Calhoun and Martin Van Buren would be supporting Jackson15. The press referred
this drift a Adam’s men and Jackson’s men. The Jacksonians started to form effective
organizational strategies by adopting various modern techniques of campaigns. They also
emphasized the supposed corruption of Adams. In the election finally got hold of 178 out of 261
electoral votes and 50.3% of popular vote. This election thus marks the decline of Democratic
Republican Party and the vision of political equality was shattered.
14 Prince, Carl E. "Patronage and a Party Machine: New Jersey Democratic-Republican Activists, 1801-1816." The
William and Mary Quarterly: A Magazine of Early American History (1964): 571-578.
15 Twomey, Richard J. "The Democratic-Republican Societies, 1790-1800: A Documentary Source-book of
Constitutions, Declarations, Addresses, Resolutions, and Toasts." (1978): 413-415.

RUNNING HEAD: POLITICAL SCIENCE
Reference List:
Dotts, Brian W. "The democratic-republican societies: An educational dream
deferred." educational HORIZONS 88, no. 3 (2010): 179-192.
Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History: One Volume. WW Norton & Company,
2016.
Link, Eugene P., and Philip S. Foner. "Democratic Republican Societies, 1790-1800." (1943).
Miller, Gary, and Norman Schofield. "The transformation of the republican and democratic party
coalitions in the US." Perspectives on Politics 6, no. 3 (2008): 433-450.
Prince, Carl E. "Patronage and a Party Machine: New Jersey Democratic-Republican Activists,
1801-1816." The William and Mary Quarterly: A Magazine of Early American History (1964):
571-578.

RUNNING HEAD: POLITICAL SCIENCE
Schoenbachler, Matthew. "Republicanism in the Age of Democratic Revolution: The
Democratic-Republican Societies of the 1790s." Journal of the Early Republic 18, no. 2 (1998):
237-261.
Sioli, Marco M. "The Democratic Republican Societies at the End of the Eighteenth Century:
The Western Pennsylvania Experience." Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic
Studies 60, no. 3 (1993): 288-304.
Skocpol, Theda, and Alexander Hertel-Fernandez. "The Koch network and republican party
extremism." Perspectives on Politics 14, no. 3 (2016): 681-699.
Twomey, Richard J. "The Democratic-Republican Societies, 1790-1800: A Documentary
Source-book of Constitutions, Declarations, Addresses, Resolutions, and Toasts." (1978): 413-
415.
Wolford, Thorp Lanier. "Democratic-Republican Reaction in Massachusetts to the Embargo of
1807." The New England Quarterly 15, no. 1 (1942): 35-61.