The First U.S. Party System: Events, Issues, and Positions — http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=557
Timeline of Events Related to the Development of the U.S. Party System
This timeline is based on the Basic Chronology section of the Encyclopedia of American
History, 7th ed., by Jeffrey B. and Richard B. Morris (New York: Harper Collins, 1996). Unless
otherwise specified, documents are from the EDSITEment resource American Memory.
Part I
1788: Constitution Ratified
Though “during the ratification struggle, the Federalists were functioning as a surprisingly well
coordinated political group” (Kerber, Linda K. “The Federalist Party.” History of U.S. Political
Parties. Ed. Arthur M/ Schlesinger. 4 vols. New York: Chelsea, 1973. p. 9) with publications,
campaign-like meetings, behind the scene maneuvers, and a national scope, they were not yet a
political party. Their goal was limited, and certainly not the political party that formed around
Alexander Hamilton during Washington’s presidency. James Madison—who later helped
Jefferson start the Democratic-Republican Party—worked closely with Hamilton, helping the
Federalists promote the ratification of the Constitution. The Federalist Papers, authored by
Hamilton, Madison, and John Jay, “stressed the inadequacy of the Confederation, the need for a
strong government, and the conformity of the Constitution with the best principles of republican
government” (Morris, Jeffrey B. and Morris, Richard B. Encyclopedia of American History, 7th
ed. New York: Harper Collins, 1996. p.134).
• Primary Document: Edward Rutledge in Defense of the Constitution
[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hlaw:@field(DOCID+@lit(ed0045)):]
(Scroll to or use Find to locate pp. 274-277), an example of Federalist arguments.
• Secondary Account: Ratifying the Constitution [http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/
database/article_display.cfm?HHID=294] on Digital History, a link from the EDSITEment
resource History Matters.
The Constitution encountered sti