Social Contract theory/How is U.S. Constitution a product of the United
Social Contract Theory, the European Enlightenment and Deism had a profound impact on the thinking of American colonists. Thoroughly explain the theories that came out of the above movements, and describe how Americans like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson responded. What were the implications of these philosophies on American thought and society? Be sure to discuss how each expanded the colonists’ definitions of liberty and individual rights.
Despite the Founding Fathers’ stated fears of faction, the United States saw the emergence of the first party system during the 1790s. What caused the formation of the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans as two opposing political parties? How did these two parties reflect the respective personal visions of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson? How did domestic and international events shape their early history? Was such a division inevitable and why?
