The history of the Federalist party and of the Alien and Sedition Acts would be a good starting point. And, as TruthElixirX said, the Whiskey Rebellion. For bo

The history of the Federalist party and of the Alien and Sedition Acts would be a good starting point. And, as TruthElixirX said, the Whiskey Rebellion. For bonus points, be sure to pay attention to the American political response to the French Revolution and the XYZ affair, and to the relationship early America had with Britain[1]. Note: George Washington himself didn't belong to any political party (and he has famously spoken out against their existence). But, a lot of his policies were aligned with the Federalist party ideals. 1. If the words "Special Relationship" don't mean much to you, thats another fun topic to explore — and this is where it all started. But that's only marginally related to the question you asked.