Founded during the first half of the 1790s, Democratic-Republican Societies were the first grassroots organizations to oppose President George Washington. The societies broadened political participation by attracting men from the lower and middling classes to political action, thus precipitating a debate about the legitimacy of such organized opposition to the government.

In May 1793 a group of Philadelphians founded the first and most prominent Democratic-Republican club; by the end of 1794, there were 42 known clubs. Societies were located in urban centers and the backcountry, and membership ranged from a handful to several hundred. While most leaders of these organizations were prominent men in the community, many societies were led by less prosperous and more humble men. Thus, the Democratic-Republican Societies attracted men of diverse status and, as a result, helped to broaden the scope of political participation in the early republic.

Originally founded as debating societies whose purpose was discussion and dissemination of information, the clubs soon became overtly political. Their immediate models were the Sons of Liberty and committees of correspondence; indeed, several members had been active in these organizations. In addition, Democratic-Republican Societies found a degree of inspiration from the French Revolution (1789-99) and the Jacobin Clubs of France. Members of the Democratic-Republican Societies saw the French Revolution as a continuation of the American Revolution, believing it their duty, and that of the U.S. government, to support their brother republicans across the Atlantic Ocean. Nevertheless the societies cannot be characterized as tools of the French. Although Edmond Genet did suggest including "democratic" in the name for the Philadelphia society, he did not have undue influence over it or any other society.

In addition to being concerned about U.S. policy toward France and Great Britain, the Democratic-Republican Societies were troubled by the consolidating impact of Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton's financial schemes, including a national bank and an excise tax. Members believed that the Washington administration had betrayed the American Revolution, and to combat such a betrayal, citizens needed to examine the conduct of all government officers, including Washington. Only a vigilant and virtuous citizenry could save the republican experiment, and the societies hoped to fulfill this purpose.

By 1796, almost all of the societies had disappeared. Several reasons explain their decline, which was almost as fast as their ascent. First, as the French Revolution deteriorated into the Reign of Terror and the war between Great Britain and France intensified, more people in the United States feared rather than celebrated the events in Europe; hence, Democratic-Republicans Societies lost support. Second and more important, in November 1794 Washington denounced the societies for what he believed was their role in the Whiskey Rebellion. Despite efforts by individual societies outside of western Pennsylvania to distance themselves from the rebels, the societies could not recover from Washington's public condemnation and challenge to their legitimacy. Significantly, Washington's comments precipitated a debate within the House of Representatives about whether to officially agree with him. Although Democratic-Republican Party leaders James Madison and Thomas Jefferson never condoned the societies, they were not ready to denounce them either. The Democratic-Republican Societies were one step in the growing acceptance of the legitimacy of a vocal opposition to the sitting administration.

Bibliography:

Eugene Perry Link, Democratic-Republican Societies, 1790-1800 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1942)

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