Parties and Politics in the Early Republic 1789 - 1815

In this engaging, succinct study of the accomplishments and difficulties of the young American republic, key historical questions are discussed with references to important scholarship. Among the topics covered are the development of political parties, the animosity between the Republicans and Federalists and the eventual disintegration of the latter group, the leadership abilities of the first presidents, and the foreign relations problems that led to the War of 1812.

One. The Contributions of Federalist and Republic, 1789-1801 1

Problems of a New Nation 1

Public Credit and Majority Rule 15

Limits of the American Political Tradition 30

The Development of Parties 43

Two. Republican Domination, 1801-1815 57

Jefferson in Power 57

Federalist Extremism and Republican Schism 74

Jefferson Keeps the Peace 86

The War of 1812 93

Selected Bibliography 107

Index 113

Morton Bordon is the author of Parties and Politics in the Early Republic 1789 - 1815, published by Wiley.