The development of a two-party political system began in 1795 after the divisions of opinion from the Citizen Genet affair and Jay’s Treaty formed into political parties. One of those was the Democratic-Republicans, a group that united against Hamilton’s economic policies and Jay’s Treaty. The organization was designed by James Madison and a few other Virginians, who organized a loose collection of Democratic-Republican societies into a well-disciplined and consistent voting party. The party favored limited government, and opposed the national bank as well as other measures to increase the power of the federal government. However, the party’s sense of self-rule led them to include the right to own slaves, if desired. The party saw its
