Omar Bennett
During the debates over the ratification of the US Constitution, supporters of the document called themselves Federalists. They defended the Constitution's strengthened national government, with its greater congressional powers, more powerful executive, and independent judiciary. The Federalists argued that the new government supported the principles of separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism. Their opponents, who were against ratification, became known as Anti-Federalists.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Federalists |
| Supporters of the Constitution | Yes |
| Believed that the Constitution would create a federal system | Yes |
| Believed that power should be divided between a central government and state governments | Yes |
| Ran a well-organised campaign with convincing speeches, pamphlets, and debates | Yes |
| Included large landowners who wanted property protection from a strong central government | Yes |
| Included merchants and artisans in large coastal cities who wanted a federal government that could impose taxes on foreign goods | Yes |
| Included farmers near the coast who wanted a strong central government that could consistently regulate trade | Yes |
| Leading figures | Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington |
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What You'll Learn
Supporters of the Constitution called themselves Federalists
Supporters of the Constitution during the ratification debates called themselves Federalists. They defended the Constitution, which strengthened the national government, giving it greater congressional powers, a more powerful executive, and an independent judiciary. Federalists believed that the new government supported the principles of separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism.
The Federalists were well-organised and well-funded, and they made careful use of the printed word to spread their message. They included some of the most talented leaders of the era, such as Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, and they had the support of most newspapers, which published articles and pamphlets explaining why the Constitution should be approved.
The Federalists' opponents were known as Anti-Federalists. The Anti-Federalists included small farmers and landowners, shopkeepers, and labourers. They favoured strong state governments, a weak central government, the direct election of government officials, short term limits for officeholders, accountability by officeholders to popular majorities, and the strengthening of individual liberties.
The Federalists and Anti-Federalists reached a compromise that led to the adoption of the Constitution, but political divisions continued during the presidency of George Washington. The Federalists formed a political party supporting Alexander Hamilton's aggressive policies and expansive constitutional interpretations, while opponents, including some former Federalists, formed the Jeffersonian Party, supporting Thomas Jefferson's view favouring stricter constitutional construction and opposing the establishment of a national bank.
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Federalists believed in a federal system
Supporters of the US Constitution called themselves Federalists. During the year-long debates over ratification, Federalists defended the Constitution's strengthened national government, with its greater congressional powers, more powerful executive, and independent judiciary. They argued that the new government supported the principles of separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism.
Federalists were aware that the problems of the country in the 1780s stemmed from the weaknesses of the central government created by the Articles of Confederation. They believed that the Constitution was required to safeguard the liberty and independence that the American Revolution had created. They also believed that the Constitution would allow greater stability and power for the country as a whole.
Federalists were very organised and offered a convincing case in their speeches, pamphlets, and debates. They were well-funded and made careful use of the printed word. They also had the support of most newspapers, which published articles and pamphlets explaining why the people should approve the Constitution. Many talented leaders of the era, including Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, favoured the Constitution.
Federalists included large landowners who wanted the property protection of a strong central government. They also included merchants and artisans living in large coastal cities who wanted a federal government that could impose taxes on foreign goods to help their businesses. Farmers near the coast wanted a strong central government that could consistently regulate trade.
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They believed in separation of powers
Supporters of the US Constitution called themselves Federalists. During the year-long debates over ratification, Federalists defended the Constitution’s strengthened national government, with its greater congressional powers, more powerful executive, and independent judiciary. They believed that the new government supported the principles of separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism.
Federalists believed that the Constitution would allow greater stability and power for the country as a whole. They argued that the Constitution was required to safeguard the liberty and independence that the American Revolution had created. They saw their most important role as defending the social gains of the Revolution.
The Federalists were well-organised, well-funded, and made careful use of the printed word. They defended the social gains of the Revolution and believed that the greatest threat to the future of the United States was not the abuse of central power, but the excesses of democracy. They were supported by many of the most talented leaders of the era, including the only two national-level celebrities of the period, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington.
Federalists were also supported by large landowners who wanted property protection from a strong central government, merchants and artisans in large coastal cities who wanted a federal government that could impose taxes on foreign goods, and farmers near the coast who wanted a strong central government that could consistently regulate trade.
The Federalist Papers, a collection of the writings of Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison during 1787–88, laid out the ideology of the Federalists during the creation of the US Constitution.
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They believed in a strong central government
Supporters of the US Constitution called themselves Federalists. They believed that a strong central government would protect the rights, safety, and happiness of the people. They also believed that a strong central government would bring greater stability and power to the country as a whole.
Federalists were in favour of a stronger national government with greater congressional powers, a more powerful executive, and an independent judiciary. They believed that the new government would uphold the principles of separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism.
Federalists argued that the Constitution was necessary to safeguard the liberty and independence that the American Revolution had created. They saw their most important role as defending the social gains of the Revolution. They believed that the greatest threat to the future of the United States was not the abuse of central power, but the excesses of democracy, as evidenced by popular disturbances like Shays' Rebellion and the pro-debtor policies of many states.
Federalists were well-organised and well-funded, and they made effective use of the printed word to spread their message. They wrote essays, pamphlets, and newspaper articles to explain the meaning and virtues of the Constitution. They also gave convincing speeches and participated in debates. Many talented leaders of the era, including celebrities such as Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, supported the Federalists.
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They believed the Constitution would bring stability and power
Supporters of the Constitution called themselves Federalists. They believed that the Constitution would bring stability and power to the country as a whole. They argued that the new government supported the principles of separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism. Federalists were in favour of a stronger central government, with greater congressional powers, a more powerful executive, and an independent judiciary. They also believed that the Constitution would safeguard the liberty and independence that the American Revolution had created.
Federalists were well-organised and well-funded, and they made effective use of the printed word to spread their message. They wrote essays, pamphlets, and newspaper articles to explain the meaning and virtues of the Constitution. They also gave convincing speeches and participated in debates. Some Federalists were large landowners who wanted the property protection of a strong central government. Others were merchants and artisans living in large coastal cities who wanted a federal government that could impose taxes on foreign goods to help their businesses. Farmers near the coast wanted a strong central government that could consistently regulate trade.
Federalists saw their most important role as defending the social gains of the Revolution. They believed that the Constitution was a "republican remedy for the diseases most incident to republican government". They also believed that the greatest threat to the future of the United States was not the abuse of central power, but rather the excesses of democracy, as evidenced by popular disturbances like Shays' Rebellion and the pro-debtor policies of many states.
To achieve ratification, Federalists knew they had to make concessions to the small states. They agreed to permit the members of the upper house to be elected by the state legislatures, ensuring that each state would always have at least one member in the upper house. They also promised to attach a Bill of Rights to the Constitution and to support amendments protecting the liberties of the people.
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Frequently asked questions
Proponents of the US Constitution called themselves Federalists.
The Federalists chose their name to imply a commitment to a loose, decentralised system of government. However, their philosophy of government revealed them to be a group of people dedicated to centralisation and the Constitution.
The Federalists believed that the Constitution would allow greater stability and power for the country as a whole. They defended the Constitution's strengthened national government, with its greater congressional powers, more powerful executive, and independent judiciary. They also believed that the greatest threat to the future of the United States lay in the excesses of democracy, rather than the abuse of central power.
Some prominent Federalists include Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington.
The Federalists were successful in getting the Constitution ratified by the required minimum of 9 out of 13 states. They also reached a compromise with the Anti-Federalists, leading to the adoption of the Bill of Rights as part of the Constitution.
