Divided States of America

[Keith Broaders]

In 1796 the United States of America became the Diviided Nation when two rival political parties emmerged. One faction believed in individual liberty and personal responsibility and the other beleived that indivual rights needed to be sacrificed for the greater good of the greater number.

The Federalist Party believed in the premise that groups had rights and the Anto Fedralists nelieved the Constitution was written to protect our God given rights of individuals.

The Anti Federalisy believed that the government should be governed by the will of the majority while the Anti Federalists beleived that the government should be governed by the rule of law.

The founding fathers recognized the dangers associatedd with the establishment of a democracy and in America.

Washington warned us in his Farewell Address that the establishment of politicalparties would have negative consequencies. He realized that if the collective will of the majority prevailed, the rights of individuals would be in serious jeopardy.

Ironically those that favored a strong National government identified themselves as the Fedeeralists and those favored Federalism were labled as the Anti Federalists.

The Anti Federalists beleived in a Constitutionsl republc that would be governed by the rule of law, while the Federalists believed an oligarchy of the financial elite should run the show

The two political factions to emmerge were those who believed the government should be governed by th Laws of Nature an Nature's God and those who believed the government should be governed by the will od the majority. The early Republicans were identifiedas the Anti Federalists and the Democrats of today trace their roots back to Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Party.