Complete the sentence.
After seeing disagreements among Americans increase while he was president, Washington felt that political parties were () for the United States.
dangerous helpful necessary
Political parties are groups that support different political positions. Today they are a regular part of political life in the United States, but they have not always existed.
Parties first formed in the 1790s, after George Washington was elected president. Washington wrote about political parties in 1796. Read Washington's words. Then complete the sentence below.
[Let me] warn you, in the most solemn manner, against the baneful effects of [parties].
solemn: serious
baneful: harmful, destructive
Look back at the passage. At the end of his presidency, Washington wrote that he wanted to warn people against the baneful, or harmful, effects of parties.
So, after seeing disagreements among Americans increase while he was president, Washington felt that political parties were dangerous for the United States.