By the 1790's, two political parties, the Federalists and the Republicans had emerged in the US. The tension between the two were so problematic that by the end of Washington's second term in 1797 he warned against the dangers of factions. Both thought they wanted a republican government. The problem was that the two parties had very different definitions of what a republican government was. These differences in their ideologies made themselves apparent in their petty and divisive disputes over issues such as taxation, foreign policy especially with France and balance of power. Before the parties were that politically different the nation was in a fragile government state. Questions on the constitution remained unanswered and how it would be upheld. Despite the fact that it had been ratified as the supreme law of the land people were worried that its initial intent might have been changed. People felt uncomfortable about a government that was not restrained by a bill of rights. The constitution did not say how the federal court system should be structured. It was not specified to whom the president would be accountable, people feared that he would have unlimited power. In addition tension developed over the Secretary of Treasury, Alexander Hamilton's proposal for a national bank because they feared that money would be given to a small group of wealthy people who ended up controlling the government in return. In response to growing financial problems, Hamilton purposed a set of new ideas to help the economy. To raise the $54 million needed to pay all the debt, Hamilton proposed that western lands equal to the debt be sold. This way people could by stock and earn 4% interest if they kept their lands. This policy was used to pay back both state debts and national debts. Hamilton believed that the only way to keep national credit at a decent level was to follow the new way, otherwise credit would go down.
