"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."

Heh.

-CW

It's kind of interesting, how there's such a difference between actually knowing something and just knowing enough to be able to look it up.

Oh, bonus points for obliquely referencing Thomas Jefferson's first inaugural address! "We are all Federalists... we are all Republicans..."

Well done!

But the internal improvements thing wasn't as cut-and-dried a partisan issue. Jefferson actually supported the idea of the National Road (the first giant federal infrastructure project), as he felt it would aid "citizen farmers" to get their produce to market, and thus help his whole "small government" idealism. And the first proponent of sweeping internal improvements, long before Clay came up with the "American system" was none other than Albert Gallatin.

Man, I've been buried in American history books for too long... it's starting to show...

Heh.

-CW

Yes, that's when I associate the term with: the time when we were "all republicans"*, so there was a need for descriptions to say what kind of republicans we were. Those who favored Henry Clay's internal improvements (and the interests of the Eastern money aristocracy) were "national"; those who favored Jackson's demagoguery (and the interests of the Southern landed aristocracy) were "democratic".

*(even though the quote is from 1801, when we weren't yet)

The "THEY" changes over time, but the argument is almost always the same, you're right...

-CW

The "Era of Good Feelings" was actually the period of one-party rule, from the end of the War of 1812 to the election of 1824, roughly. There were a few last-gasp death throes of the Federalists during this period, but they weren't a national influence.

The "Democratic-Republicans" label was glommed onto in the last 50 years or so by historians, mostly because it doesn't refer to either modern American party specifically.

The real "Antifederalists" or "Anti-Federalists" (take your choice) were the ones who fought against the US Constitution, and who also were responsible for the Bill of Rights. To be strictly accurate, they kind of ended after the BoR was ratified.

The first party split took place between Hamilton (and others) and Jefferson, in Washington's Cabinet. Hamilton's faction were Federalists, but nobody could really agree what Jefferson's faction should be called. "Jeffersonians" is probably the most accurate, at least up to the War of 1812. They called themselves, more often than not, "republicans" (with a small R, which wasn't making a statement back then, federalists used a small F, too). "Democrats" were still a thing to be feared by many (they called it "mob rule" -- this was when the property requirements were still in place in many states), so the label wasn't often used (except as a slur). "Antifederalists" was indeed used throughout the 1790s, but faded once Jefferson was elected.

One newspaper editor even went whole hog and called them "Antifederalist-Republican-Democrats" if memory serves correctly.

Anyway, just as a matter of personal preference, I use "Antifederalist" up to the "Era of Good Feelings," and then afterwards it becomes personal again and you were either a "Jackson man" or a [J.Q.] "Adams man."

"Democrat" (for Jackson) and "Whig" (for anti-Jacksons, including National Republicans and Anti-Masons, who had banded together) didn't appear until about 1832-1834.

-CW

And therein lies *my* entire beef against BOTH Political Partys..

And Democrats are as bad as Republicans in this regard...

The agenda of the Party is considered first and how it affects the country is a far and distant second...

Which is why I believe that adherence to ANY Party is bad for those who love their country..

Awesome history lesson, CW...

As I am wont to say, the more things change, the more they stay the same..

Michale