When Washington retired in 1797 he warned the nation against “the bane

When Washington retired in 1797 he warned the nation against “the baneful effects of the spirit of party.” Explain what he meant and describe what had happened to lead him to make this remark.

What will be an ideal response?

ANSWER
Washington echoed the fear of the Founding Fathers that a republican government depended on public virtue and the primacy of community welfare. They saw parties as self-serving interest groups who neglected the public good. He was, in part, responding to the intense partisanship of Federalists and Republicans spawned by Hamilton’s financial program and Jay’s Treaty during his presidency.