Laocoon etbass
15 hours ago edited
Good precis on the EC...but division into political parties was nearly instantaneous with the birth of the Republic.

George Washington hated it but Jefferson and Hamilton didn't. Adams had a personal friendship with Jefferson and he appreciated Jefferson's brilliance as articulated in the declaration. However Adams appreciated most of Hamilton's policy. Adams instinctively preferred a strong national government along with other Federalists.

But while Adams retained a good personal appreciation of the talents of Jefferson...even as they became serious rivals...he simultaneously developed a lasting personal loathing of Hamilton. For all of Adams' support of Hamilton's policy...he also saw Hamilton as the scheming tool of moneyed NY interests. An embodiment of NYC greed which did very well under British occupation for most of the Revolution while the Army starved and other American cities like Charlestown and Philadelphia suffered the ravages of 18th century war. And Washington...seeing things as they WERE instead of how he preferred them...tolerated reality but constantly tempered passions between Hamilton's and Jefferson's factions while he was in office. From nearly the first minute of the Adams Presidency...the division into parties exploded and America has never looked back.

The "prominent men" you speak of quickly divided them into reliable Democratic-Republicans or Federalists. Almost overnite.

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Miss Magpie etbass
19 hours ago edited
thank you , for the history of it , is illuminating,
perhaps you will see more "faithless" ones this time around, if you ever get there