As the nation divided into Federalists and Republicans, each group called the other the worst name possible: "party". Most Americans feared the idea of party; believing that a society should unite to achieve the public good, they denounced parties as groups of ambitious men selfishly competing for power. Worse, parties were danger signals for a republic; if parties dominated a republic's politics, its days were numbered.
The emergence of political parties in the United States led to a significant divide between the Federalists and Republicans. Each faction viewed the other with disdain, labeling them simply as "party," which was considered a derogatory term. Many Americans were wary of political parties, believing they fostered personal ambition rather than the public good, and saw them as a threat to the unity necessary for the republic's survival.
This fear stemmed from a belief that when political parties gained too much influence, it jeopardized the fundamental principles of a republic. The idea that factions could divert attention from collective goals raised alarms about the stability and longevity of American governance, leading to widespread concerns regarding the potential decline of democratic values if parties continued to dominate political discourse.