Citing the essential developments of the 1790s, describe and EXPLAIN the emergence of the First Party System. (You MUST carry your discussion through the election of 1800).

sources to use:

-Divine, et al, America Past and Present Volume I

-Zinn, Howard, A Peoples history of the United States

1. Citing the essential developments of the 1790s, describe and EXPLAIN the emergence of the First Party System. (You MUST carry your discussion through the election of 1800).

To address question #1, you will need to read BOTH the assigned text AND the posted lectures on the topic. Some of the “essential developments you must consider are ideological differences concerning: the nature of national development and the role of government in that development; the foreign policy course the new nation should steer; the contest over the extent/protection of “civil liberties” at home; on the domestic struggle of oligarchy vs. democracy; on the meaning and the character of “federalism;” and on the appropriate “meaning” or interpretation of the newly ratified constitution. These are covered concisely and especially well in posted lecture #8. Ultimately you will want to demonstrate how division among the elite over these (and other) matters led to political polarization and, ultimately, to the creation of oppositional/competitive political parties.

Remember that I evaluate your work based upon 1) the strength of the thesis you advance in fully addressing the question I ask and 2) the SPECIFIC HISTORICAL EXAMPLES you offer to support your argument. If you do not fully address the question you cannot receive satisfactory credit. If you do not offer specific historical examples to support your argument, the highest grade you can possibly score is a “C.” To receive a “B” or an “A” mark, you must 1) provide specific hist examples to support your thesis and 2) demonstrate a critical approach by considering the relationships (cause/effect, explanatory) between the developments you are considering.

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