Isabella Carter
The supporters of the US Constitution called themselves Federalists. The Federalists were in favour of a strong national government and believed that the Constitution was required to safeguard the liberty and independence that the American Revolution had created. They were well-organised and well-funded, and included many talented leaders of the era, such as George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. The Federalists' opponents were known as Anti-Federalists, who believed that the Constitution would give the federal government too much power and threaten individual liberties.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Federalists |
| Other Names | Nationalists |
| Notable Supporters | Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton |
| Beliefs | The Constitution would create a federal system, Power should be divided between a central government and state governments |
| Supporters' Occupations | Large landowners, Merchants and artisans living in large coastal cities, Farmers near the coast |
| Tactics | Well-organised, Offered convincing arguments in speeches, pamphlets and debates, Well-funded, Used the printed word effectively, Published articles and pamphlets explaining why the people should approve the Constitution |
| Compromises | Promised to attach a Bill of Rights to the Constitution once it was ratified, Promised to support the amendment that would reserve for the states all powers not specifically granted to the federal government |
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What You'll Learn
Supporters of the Constitution called themselves Federalists
Federalists included many nationalists, such as George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. They also had the support of Benjamin Franklin, one of the era's most prominent celebrities. Federalists believed that the Constitution was required to safeguard the liberty and independence that the American Revolution had created. They wanted a strong national government, and believed that the greatest threat to the future of the United States was not the abuse of central power, but rather the weaknesses of the central government created by the Articles of Confederation.
Federalists were often 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.
The Federalists' opponents were known as Anti-Federalists. Anti-Federalists believed that the Federalists' plan posed a threat to state governments and the rights of individuals. They thought the new Constitution would give the federal government too much power and wanted a bill of rights to protect Americans' civil liberties. Anti-Federalists ran a very negative campaign and offered no alternatives, but they did accept the need for a national government.
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Federalists believed in a strong central government
The supporters of the Constitution called themselves Federalists. The Federalist Party was a conservative and nationalist American political party and the first political party in the United States. It dominated the national government under Alexander Hamilton from 1789 to 1801. The Federalists believed in a strong central government and supported Hamilton's vision of centralization. They also believed in a federal system where power was divided between a central government and state governments.
The Federalist Party supported Hamilton's proposals for a national bank and heavy government subsidies. They advocated for the funding of the old Revolutionary War debt and the assumption of state debts, the passage of excise laws, the creation of a central bank, the maintenance of a tariff system, and favourable treatment of American shipping. In foreign affairs, they observed neutrality in the war between France and Great Britain in 1793 and approved the Jay Treaty of 1794, which ended difficulties with Britain.
The Federalist Party was formed by Hamilton and other proponents of a strong central government in 1791. It was preceded by an early coalition of nationalists led by Washington, which included Hamilton and James Madison. This coalition advocated for a new Constitution to replace the weaker national government under the Articles of Confederation. The Federalists believed that the Constitution was necessary to safeguard the liberty and independence that the American Revolution had won.
The Federalist Party was popular among businessmen, bankers, merchants, and New Englanders. They were well-organized and made effective use of pamphlets, speeches, and debates to make their case. The Federalists also included large landowners who wanted property protection, as well as farmers and artisans living in large coastal cities who wanted consistent regulation of trade and taxes on foreign goods.
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Federalists were well-funded and well-organised
The supporters of the Constitution called themselves Federalists. The Federalist Party was formed by proponents of a strong central government, including Alexander Hamilton, in 1791. The Federalists were well-funded and well-organised, with support from businessmen and merchants in major cities. They were closely linked to the modernizing and urbanizing financial policies of Alexander Hamilton, including the funding of national debt and the assumption of state debts incurred during the Revolutionary War. Hamilton had many lucrative Treasury jobs to dispense—1,700 of them by 1801.
Federalists were also supported by 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. The Federalist Party became popular with businessmen and New Englanders, while Republicans (mostly farmers) opposed a strong central government.
The Federalists were well-organised, with state networks of the party beginning to operate in 1794 or 1795. They were also able to offer a convincing case in their speeches, pamphlets, and debates. Between October 1787 and August 1788, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison wrote a series of 85 essays that appeared in various New York newspapers under the pseudonym "Publius." The Federalist Papers were written to combat Anti-Federalism and persuade the public of the necessity of the Constitution.
The Federalists also made strategic political moves, such as delaying the New York vote on ratification until after news arrived that New Hampshire and Virginia had ratified. They also promised to attach a Bill of Rights to the Constitution once it was ratified, which helped them gain the support of Massachusetts.
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Federalists included large landowners, merchants, and farmers
Supporters of the Constitution called themselves Federalists. 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-organised, well-funded, and made careful use of the printed word. They included large landowners, merchants, and farmers.
Large landowners wanted the property protection of a strong central government. Merchants and artisans living in large coastal cities 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 tended to be people with broader connections and interests, including merchants, lawyers, and other educated professionals; clergy; and commercial farmers and planters. They were faced mainly by yeoman farmers and rural leaders with mainly local connections, who feared broad new powers exercised by a distant elite. Those with entrenched interests in existing state powers were also frequently hostile to the Federalists.
In general, Federalists were concentrated in the east. Coastal areas, dependent on trade, were linked economically, culturally, and intellectually to other states and countries, and favoured a revitalised government that looked beyond their immediate localities.
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Opponents of the Constitution were called Anti-Federalists
The Anti-Federalists were led by Patrick Henry of Virginia and included other notable figures such as John Hancock and Sam Adams of Massachusetts. They believed that the position of president might evolve into a monarchy and that the national government would be too powerful and threaten individual liberties, given the absence of a bill of rights. As a result, they demanded a bill of rights to guarantee specific liberties, which influenced the formation of the Bill of Rights and the adoption of the First Amendment.
The Anti-Federalists published a series of articles and delivered numerous speeches against the ratification of the Constitution, known collectively as The Anti-Federalist Papers. They also mounted an effective opposition in essays and debates, forcing the Federalists to promise to consider amendments protecting the liberties of the people after ratification. Despite their efforts, the Anti-Federalists never organized efficiently across all thirteen states and had to fight the ratification at every state convention.
The term "Anti-Federalist" was imposed upon the movement by their opponents, the Federalists, and was meant to mark them as opposed to the very political ideas they embraced. The Anti-Federalists rejected this term, arguing that they were the true Federalists, and tried to capture the term in their correspondence and local groups. However, the Federalists prevailed, and the name Anti-Federalist stuck.
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Frequently asked questions
The supporters of the US Constitution called themselves Federalists.
The Federalists believed in a strong national government and that the Constitution would create a federal system. They believed that power should be divided between a central government and state governments.
The Federalists included many Nationalists, such as George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. Other prominent Federalists included Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and merchants and artisans living in large coastal cities.
