Here is a question from CollegeBoard's practice APUSH exam... I'm having trouble answering it. Washington's Farewell warned against the dangers of international alliances and the formation of political parties, right? Knowing this, I still am unsure of what the answer is (personally, I think it's A but I feel I am incorrect).
Which of the following groups most strongly opposed Washington’s point of view in the address?
(A) Democratic-Republicans
(B) New England merchants
(C) Southern plantation owners
(D) Federalists
My reasoning for why it's A (taken from my comment): If you want my reasoning, it's because Washington was shown to support Hamilton (a Federalist). Also, the Democratic-Republicans wanted to support France in the war against Britain, which violated Washington's neutrality policy. However, Hamilton wanted to side with the British for possible economic advantages, meaning that Federalist motives also conflicted with the ideas in Washington's address. That's why I'm confused, because my reasoning appears to be self-contradicting. I also don't know too much about the political stance of merchants and plantation owners.