Answer:
D
Step-by-step explanation:
The Democratic - Republican party was formed by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison who advocated for a smaller and more decentralized government, hence ruling out the answer A and B.
Democratic-Republicans were strongest in the South, and many of party's leaders were wealthy Southern slaveowners. The Democratic-Republicans also attracted middle class Northerners, such as artisans, farmers, and lower-level merchants, who were eager to challenge the power of the local elite. This rules out answer choice C.
Alexander Hamilton was not part of the Democratic - Republicans and instead was a Federalist. This means that answer choice D is correct.