The adoption of the Constitution in 1787 established a strong federal government for the
United States and codified the principles of a country that balanced the interests of divergent
political, social, religious, and economic groups. The logistical necessities of organizing these
interests on a federal level contributed to the establishment of national political parties during
George Washington’s first term in office. Though President Washington warned of the dangers
of factionalism in his farewell address, the advantages these organizations possessed for
achieving their policy goals made parties an integral part of the political system. During the
first half of the nineteenth century, the United States experienced a period of tremendous
territorial expansion. The challenges resulting from the spread of political and social
institutions—most notably, slavery—across the continent deepened sectional divisions into a
national crisis by the 1850s. The Civil War was the bloodiest conflict in American history, and
the war and its aftermath profoundly altered the political, social, and economic characteristics
of the United States.
In this assessment, you will explain the characteristics of the First Party System in the United
States and its legislative consequences. You will also examine the growth of the sectional
divisions in the United States during the nineteenth century leading up to the outbreak of the
Civil War.
Requirements:
A. Explain (suggested length of 1–2 paragraphs) the reasons for the rise of partisan politics
in the Early Republic (i.e., major conflicts and concerns, development of the First Party
System).
B. Discuss the development of the Second Party System (suggested length of 1–2 pages) by
doing the following:
1. Compare the platforms of the Whig and Democratic parties.
Note: You may include both similarities and differences of the two parties.
2. Describe the leaders and constituents that defined each party.
3. Explain how the Second Party System contributed to increased democratization of
American politics.
C. Discuss the major movements and events that led to the Civil War (suggested length of 2
pages) by doing the following:
1. Explain the pro-slavery and abolitionist arguments of the antebellum period.
2. Describe the role of westward expansion in increasing sectional tensions.
3. Evaluate how three major events (e.g., significant legislation, territorial conflicts,
court cases, political debates) contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War.
D. Provide acknowledgement of source information, using in-text citations and references, for
quoted, paraphrased, or summarized content.
1. Include the following information when providing source references:
• author
• date
• title