A Short History of Political Parties in the U.S.

Our first president, George Washington, refused to run as a member of any political party. He wanted to be a president to all Americans. Washington firmly believed that political parties would divide and destroy our fledgling nation, and he knew that unity was essential to its survival. Washington’s fundamental concern was that Americans would vote based on party loyalties rather than the overarching interests of our nation. Once that happened, he predicted, a “spirit of revenge” would accompany it, and enable the rise of “cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men.” He said the “spirit of…