Which political party did Thomas Jefferson belong to?

Thomas Jefferson was a founding member of the Democratic-Republican Party, which he helped establish in the early 1790s. This party was formed in opposition to the Federalist Party, which was led by Alexander Hamilton and advocated for a strong central government. Jefferson and his supporters emphasized agrarian interests, state sovereignty, and a more narrowly defined role for the federal government. The Democratic-Republicans played a significant role in the early political landscape of the United States, ultimately leading to the decline of the Federalist Party and the dominance of Jeffersonian principles in American politics during the early 19th century. This context highlights the importance of the Democratic-Republicans in fostering ideologies that shaped early American democracy.