... 1789, with former commander George Washington elected unanimously by the first Electoral College. Washington sided with those who advocated increasing the strength of the central government, who had formed the Federalist faction. Supporters of increased federal power sided with the Federalists, while Anti-Federalists formed the nucleus of the Republican Party, the ancestor of today's Democratic party. In the 1796 election ... began to decline in importance after Jefferson's election. The Federalists were identified with the wealthy, which were outnumbered by the small farmers and worker...

• Word Count: 2731
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... called the Anti-Federalists. These political organizations began to take shape before Washington became president in 1789. Soon after, the two groups developed into the first American political parties, the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party. The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, wanted a strong central government. The Democratic-Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson, supported a weak central government. After the 1816 ... presidential election, the Federalist Party broke up as a national organization, and the Democratic-Republican Party split into several groups....

• Word Count: 5323
• Approx Pages: 21
• Grade Level: High School

... put into effect in 1791. In the middle of Washington's stay the 11th amendment was added to the constitution. Following Washington's two term presidency, John Adams was voted in as a Federalist for one term from 1797-1801, following him for two terms was Thomas Jefferson as a Democratic-Republican from 1801-1809, in which the 12th amendment was added to revise the ... ...

• Word Count: 3055
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: Undergraduate