Origins of Political Parties: Political Parties and Conservatism in American History, Part 2
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Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, speaks about the origins of political parties in the United States, which began with the very first American presidential administration: that of George Washington.
Origins of Political Parties: Political Parties and Conservatism in American History, Part 2
Donna Phillips: Welcome to 60-Second Civics, the daily podcast of the Center for Civic Education. I’m Donna Phillips. Today we continue our series on Political Parties and Conservatism in American History. We are joined by special guest Dr. Lester Brooks, American History Professor Emeritus from Anne Arundel Community College. Welcome Dr. Brooks.
Dr. Lester Brooks: Thank you for having me.
Donna Phillips: Absolutely. Dr. Brooks, what are the origins of political parties?
Dr. Lester Brooks: It’s a fascinating history, when we look at the origins of political parties. Essentially, they really get started in the 1790’s. And there are a number of reasons for that. Two major issues come about during George Washington’s term. One is Hamilton’s programs. Alexander Hamilton served as Secretary of the Treasury. And he had to come up with programs to put the government on a sound financial basis. The other issue was Foreign Affairs. And this would revolve around the war between Britain and France. Who should Americans support? So as a result of that, we get people lining up on both sides. And we will eventually get the Federalist Party and the Republican Party.
Donna Phillips: Wonderful, thank you. Thanks so much for joining us Dr. Brooks. This is all for today’s podcast. 60-Second Civics, where civic education only takes a minute.
