Jonah Patel
Supporters of the Constitution were called Federalists. They emerged during the debates over the ratification of the Constitution in the late 18th century. Federalists advocated for a strong central government that would provide better governance, promote national defense, and support economic growth. They believed that the Constitution would create a federal system and that power should be divided between a central government and state governments.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Federalists |
| Beliefs | Supporters believed in a strong central government, with power divided between a central government and state governments. They believed this would provide better governance, promote national defense, and support economic growth. |
| Supporters | Federalists included large landowners, merchants, artisans, and farmers. Notable figures were Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, who wrote the Federalist Papers. |
| Opposition | Opponents of the Constitution were called Anti-Federalists Ran a very negative campaign; offered no other alternatives. They included small farmers and landowners, shopkeepers, and laborers. Notable figures included Patrick Henry, Melancton Smith, and John Hancock. |
| Outcome | The Federalists secured the Constitution's ratification in 1788. |
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What You'll Learn
Federalists believed in a strong central government
Supporters of the Constitution, who emerged during the debates over its ratification in the late 18th century, called themselves Federalists. Federalists believed in a strong central government and supported the Constitution's ratification. They argued that a stronger federal structure would prevent internal conflicts between states and enhance political stability. Federalists also believed that the Constitution would create a federal system and that power should be divided between a central government and state governments.
Federalists included large landowners who wanted property protection from 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.
Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison wrote a series of 85 essays that appeared in various New York newspapers under the pseudonym "Publius." These essays, known as the Federalist Papers, were written to combat Anti-Federalism and persuade the public of the necessity of the Constitution. The Federalist Papers emphasized the need for an adequate central government and argued that a republican form of government could be adapted to the large expanse of territory and widely divergent interests found in the United States.
Hamilton and other proponents of a strong central government formed the Federalist Party in 1791. The Federalists stood for economic policies such as the funding of the old Revolutionary War debt, the creation of a central bank, and the maintenance of a tariff system. They observed neutrality in the war between France and Great Britain in 1793 and approved the Jay Treaty of 1794, which terminated difficulties with Britain.
The Federalist Party held power from 1789 to 1801, but they never regained power after their loss in the 1801 election. Their decline has been attributed to factors such as their suppression of free speech under the Alien and Sedition Acts, their internal divisions, and their aversion to compromising principles for political gain.
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Federalists supported the Constitution's ratification
The supporters of the Constitution during the Ratification Debates in the late 18th century were known as Federalists. They believed in the creation of a federal system and supported a strong central government that would provide better governance, promote national defence, and support economic growth. Federalists also believed in the checks and balances provided by the proposed Constitution, which would prevent abuses of power.
Federalists were well-organized and included prominent figures such as Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. Together, they wrote the Federalist Papers, a series of 85 powerful newspaper essays advocating for the Constitution's ratification. They emphasized the benefits of a strong national government and offered convincing arguments in their speeches, pamphlets, and debates.
The Federalist movement was a response to the perceived weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, which was the United States' first governing document. Federalists believed that a stronger federal structure would prevent internal conflicts between states and enhance political stability. They advocated for a national bank, tariffs, and good relations with Great Britain as expressed in the Jay Treaty of 1794.
The Federalists' arguments helped secure the Constitution's ratification in 1788, with a minimum number of states required to put the new Constitution into effect. They also promised to support amendments that would protect states' rights and attach a Bill of Rights to the Constitution, which ultimately won the support of states like Massachusetts.
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Federalists believed in checks and balances
Supporters of the Constitution were called Federalists. They believed in a strong central government and that power should be divided between a central government and state governments. Federalists believed that the proposed Constitution would create a federal system with a national government composed of three separated powers, and included both reserved and concurrent powers of states.
Madison emphasized that a system of checks and balances would prevent certain government officials from pushing legislation that is in their own interests, rather than in the interests of their constituents. In Federalist No. 51, Madison writes, "If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary." Madison's point here is that not everyone has communal interests in mind, and checks and balances are necessary because men are not necessarily all angels.
Madison also emphasizes that although the branches were meant to have checks and balances, the branches would only function to their fullest extent if they were independent of one another. He writes, "all authority in it will be derived from and dependent on the society, the society itself will be broken into so many parts, interests, and classes of citizens, that the rights of individuals, or of the minority, will be in little danger from interested combinations of the majority." Madison's political theory as expressed in Federalist No. 51 demonstrated the influence of Montesquieu’s The Spirit of the Laws on the Founders.
Federalists believed that a stronger federal structure would prevent internal conflicts between states and enhance political stability. They saw the Articles of Confederation, the United States' first governing document, as inadequate. With the states retaining considerable power, the central government had insufficient power to regulate commerce. It could not tax and was generally impotent in setting commercial policy, nor could it effectively support a war effort. It had little power to settle quarrels between states.
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Federalists were better organised and connected
Supporters of the Constitution, who emerged during the debates over its ratification in the late 18th century, were known as Federalists. They believed in a strong central government that would provide better governance, promote national defence, and support economic growth. Federalists were also known as supporters of a federal system, where power would be divided between a central government and state governments.
The Federalist Party, which came into being between 1789 and 1790, was a national coalition of bankers and businessmen who supported Hamilton's fiscal policies. They worked across all states to build an organised party committed to a fiscally sound and nationalistic government. The Federalist Party controlled the national government until 1801, when it was defeated by the Democratic-Republican Party led by Thomas Jefferson.
The Federalists' better organisation and connections were evident in their ability to build a nationwide coalition and influence state ratification of the Constitution. For example, in New York, the Federalists delayed the vote until after the ratification by New Hampshire and Virginia, which ultimately led to New York's ratification as well. Additionally, the Federalists reached the minimum number of states required to put the new Constitution into effect, demonstrating their ability to secure support and build connections across states.
In conclusion, Federalists were better organised and connected than their Anti-Federalist opponents. They leveraged their connections and influence to successfully advocate for the ratification of the Constitution and shape the early political landscape of the United States.
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Federalists were merchants, artisans, and large landowners
Supporters of the Constitution, or Federalists, were merchants, artisans, and large landowners. They believed that the Constitution would create a federal system and that power should be divided between a central government and state governments. Federalists were well-organized and made convincing cases in their speeches, pamphlets, and debates.
Federalists believed in the benefits of a strong national government, which they argued would provide better governance, promote national defense, and support economic growth. They also introduced checks and balances to prevent abuses of power. Some Federalists were large landowners who wanted property protection from 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 also wanted a strong central government that could consistently regulate trade.
Key figures among the Federalists included politicians like Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. Together, they authored the Federalist Papers, a series of 85 articles promoting the new Constitution's ratification. The Federalist Papers were written under the pen name of Publius and provided powerful arguments in favor of the Constitution.
The Federalist movement emerged during the debates over the ratification of the Constitution in the late 18th century and was a response to the perceived weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, which was the United States' first governing document. Federalists believed that a stronger federal structure would prevent internal conflicts between states and enhance political stability. They advocated for a national bank, tariffs, and good relations with Great Britain, as expressed in the Jay Treaty negotiated in 1794.
The Federalist Party was the first political party in the United States and dominated the national government under Alexander Hamilton from 1789 to 1801. The party appealed to businesses and those who favored banks and a strong national government over state governments. However, the party was defeated by the Democratic-Republican Party in 1800 and became a minority party, although it maintained its stronghold in New England.
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Frequently asked questions
Supporters of the Constitution were called Federalists.
Federalists supported a strong central government that would provide better governance, promote national defence, and support economic growth.
Some prominent Federalists included Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote a series of 85 newspaper essays known as the Federalist Papers.
The Federalist Party was a conservative and nationalist American political party and the first political party in the United States.
