SAN JOSE, March 9, 2012 – When George Washington became President of the United States in 1789, there were no political parties.
Political parties first emerged during Washington’s first term in office with the Alexander Hamilton’s Federalist Party in 1791 and in the following year, the formation of the Anti-Federalist Party or Democratic-Republicans under the leadership of Thomas Jefferson.
The two political parties formulated their views of how government ought to operate in the new republic.
At the end of Washington’s first term, as he was preparing to retire and go back to Mt. Vernon to just be a farmer again, the leaders of the opposing parties both wanted him to reconsider with Hamilton and Jefferson pleading with Washington to stay on for a second term.
Jefferson is credited as stating: “North and South will hang together if they have you to hang on.”
