Discussion - Party Politics in the 1790s
The 1790s was a decade of significant political conflict as the new nation witnessed the rise of political parties in response to domestic and international developments. In 1789, there were no official political parties. By the end of the decade, two political parties, the Federalists and Republicans, vied with one another for control of Congress and the presidency. In this discussion, you will explore the positions of one of these political parties.
REQUIRED READINGS Read the following sources for this discussion:
1. American Yawp: Chapter 6
2. Alien and Sedition Acts
3. Kentucky Resolutions
INSTRUCTIONS - For this assignment, you will CHOOSE ONE of the political parties to write on: either the Federalists OR the Republicans. Choose whichever party interests you, or choose a party that you don't know much about. Once you choose your party, you will assume the role of a member from that party - pretend that you are either a Federalist or Republican from the 1790s. There are three parts to this assignment:
1. You will write a minimum of two paragraphs discussing the political, economic, and diplomatic views of your political party (based on the content from the textbook). Your political views will include your perspective on state and national government (how strong or weak should they be); your economic views will include your perspective on economic directions that the nations should take (or not take); your diplomatic views will include your perspective on France and England (which nation do you support? why?).
2. You will also write a 3rd paragraph on one of the primary source readings: - If you are a Federalist, you will explain what the Alien and Sedition Acts are and give examples from the Acts that you think are necessary to support your position (ex: what parts of the Alien Acts are necessary for the survival of the United States?). -If you are a Republican, you will explain what the Kentucky Resolutions are and give examples from the Resolutions that you think are necessary to support your position (ex: what role should states play when the national government oversteps its authority?).
3. Respond to at least one posting by another student. Use the voice of your political party when responding to another posting (ex: if you are a Federalist, then either support a fellow Federalist or attack a Republican - with respect, of course). Be sure that your response is analytical and includes material from the reading (ex: if you are a Republican, why do you despise a Federalist?).
This means that you will write a MINIMUM OF 3 PARAGRAPHS that discuss your particular political party's perspective AND respond to at least on other posting. Your answers should reflect the main points from the textbook and primary source document for your political party, and be sure to use examples from the readings to support your main points. Proof your answer before submitting it as errors in grammar and spelling will lead to a deduction in points. Use quotations when using the exact wording from the reading. Most of your answer should be in your own words and be sure to cite any quotes used in your answer.