The Founding Fathers had no intention of making America a direct democracy, especially Federalists, who thought that only men who did not have to work for a living had the ability to look after the nation's interest and not their own--this disinterestedness was called "virtue." The Federalists such as Washington and Adams sought to give these great men more power--this is why only the state legislatures could vote for senators until 1913 and the Electoral College exists today. As the businessmen and craftsmen of America gained wealth, they also sought a larger political voice. They did not want a static class system that existed in Britain; rather, they wanted their children and grandchildren to do better than they did in life. They sought more of a voice, and by 1800 many states had taken away the property requirements one needed to vote. Intellectually, newspapers also fueled the growth in democracy, as the industry exploded as even small hamlets having at least a weekly paper by 1800. America had one of the most literate populations in 1800, as public education was available to nearly all by that time. Since there was no Associated Press, many papers picked up stories from the major hubs of New York and Philadelphia and reprinted them. Newspapers were often read aloud at bars and pubs as well, giving yet more people time with the news. Editors had partisan leanings, and many people read the news just for the arguing between editors, so it made for good drama as well.
When Washington took office, it was considered an ungentlemanly thing to actively campaign for office, but most observers could see that by 1800, one would have to mobilize one's supporters in order to attain to any office. As all white men over 21 could vote by the early nineteenth century and most of them could read, this meant that politicians had to remember to cultivate American democracy and even talk to people who during the Revolutionary days would not have been involved in the process.
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