American History

Republicanism, as it is understood and defined in The United States is, a value system of governance in which citizens have inalienable rights that cannot be voted away by congress and this is seen as being the distinctive difference between Republicanism and Democracy. Several historians have asserted that the ideals of republicanism, first embraced by Americans though Thomas Paines essay Common Sense, may have inspired the Revolution but did not really come to fruition until Thomas Jeffersons presidency.

In Thomas Paines article, Common Sense he states that, Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher( Pain, 1776). This statement can be seen as embodying the core values from which Republicanism would develop.  Republicans believe in limited government and it is for the very reasons that Paine asserts in the opening argument of his essay.  This concept did not gain in popularity until Thomas Jefferson came into power.

The Republican Party was the initial party of Thomas Jefferson and it was founded in 1793.  This was a result of events like Shays Rebellion where farmers lead by American Revolutionary veteran Daniel Shayes had an armed uprising against the government in response to many debtors throwing citizens in debtors prison for unpaid taxes.  The Republican Party as it is known today was founded in 1854, which has driven many historians to refer to Thomas Jeffersons party as the Democratic-Republican Party.  Jefferson originally created the political party to oppose the foreign and economic policies of the Federalists.

In sum, I believe that while Thomas Jefferson had the initial political backing at the time to start the Republican party, which seemingly believed in less government influence in the lives of American citizens, it is not the same as the Republican party known today.  The party known today is more liken to the one that originated in 1826.