The Federalist Party: Constitution Supporters

The Federalist Party, founded by Alexander Hamilton, was the first American political party and supported the ratification of the Constitution. The term 'federalist' was first used in 1787 to describe supporters of the newly written Constitution, who wanted a strong central government. The Federalists played a major role in drafting the new U.S. Constitution as part of the Philadelphia Convention. The party held power from 1789 to 1801 and gave rise to the first president to be elected under partisan conditions, John Adams. The Democratic-Republican Party, formed by Thomas Jefferson, was the opposing party, advocating for states' rights and a decentralized government.

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The Federalist Party was founded by Alexander Hamilton

Hamilton built a national network of supporters that emerged around 1792–93 as the Federalist Party. This was a different coalition from the previous Federalist group, consisting of supporters of the Constitution in 1787–1788, as well as entirely new elements, and even a few former opponents of the Constitution.

The Federalist Party was the first political party in the United States. It dominated the national government under Hamilton from 1789 to 1801. The party advocated for a stronger national government centered around the Executive Branch, among other federal entities. The Federalist Party's supporters believed that the national government was superior to the state government, thus establishing a governmental hierarchy. The party appealed to businesses who favored banks, national over state government, and manufacturing an army and navy.

Federalists led the successful battles to abolish the international slave trade in New York City and the battle to abolish slavery in the state of New York. They also established the First National Bank in 1791 to ensure a safe and fair system of trading and exchanging securities through a stable national currency.

The Federalist Party was defeated by the Democratic-Republican Party in 1800 and became a minority party while keeping its stronghold in New England. It made a brief resurgence by opposing the War of 1812, then collapsed with its last presidential candidate in 1816.

Federalists supported a strong central government

The Federalists, a political faction, supported a strong central government. Led by Alexander Hamilton, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Federalists coalesced around the commercial sector of the country. They supported the Constitution and were pitted against the Anti-Federalists in an intense debate on its ratification.

The Federalists won the debate, and the Constitution was ratified. They formed a national network of supporters that emerged around 1792–93 as the Federalist Party. This group consisted of supporters of the Constitution and some former opponents of the Constitution, such as Patrick Henry.

The Federalists supported a strong central government, in contrast to the Anti-Federalists, who advocated for states' rights and an agrarian society. The Anti-Federalists were concerned about the potential for a powerful central government to usurp the rights of the states, similar to what they observed in Britain.

The Federalist Party was favoured by President George Washington, who generally supported their cause, and they considered him their iconic hero. The Federalists' influence extended beyond the ratification of the Constitution, as they favoured Britain in foreign policy due to its political stability and close trade ties with America.

The Federalist Party's stance on a strong central government set it apart from other factions and contributed to the emergence of political parties in the United States.

Federalists were opposed by Anti-Federalists

The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists were two opposing political factions that emerged during the debate over the ratification of the US Constitution in 1787. The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, wanted to strengthen the national government and supported the Constitution. On the other hand, the Anti-Federalists, led by Thomas Jefferson, opposed the ratification of the Constitution, arguing that it would give too much power to the federal government and infringe upon states' rights and individual liberties.

The Federalists, sometimes called aristocrats, monocrats, or Tories, believed in a strong central government and were instrumental in shaping the new US Constitution. They wanted to replace the confederal government under the Articles of Confederation, which gave limited authority to Congress and allowed states to retain primary sovereignty. The Federalists favoured a federal government where national laws would be supreme over state laws, and the government could act directly upon individuals. They were also supportive of Britain due to its political stability and close trade ties with America.

The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, were deeply concerned about the potential danger of a powerful central government, similar to that of Britain, usurping the rights of the states. They favoured states' rights and advocated for a weak central government, the direct election of government officials, short term limits for officeholders, accountability to popular majorities, and the strengthening of individual liberties. The Anti-Federalists included small farmers, landowners, shopkeepers, and labourers. They were influential in ensuring the inclusion of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution to protect individual liberties that they believed the original document violated.

The political battle between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists led to the emergence of the First Party System, with the Federalists forming the Federalist Party and the Anti-Federalists largely joining the Democratic-Republican Party led by Jefferson and Madison. The Federalists won the initial battle, and the Constitution was ratified. However, the Anti-Federalists' influence on the Bill of Rights and the eventual election of Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans in 1800 marked significant victories for their cause.

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Federalists supported the Constitution

The Federalists were supporters of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. They believed that a stronger national government was necessary after the failed Articles of Confederation, and that the nation might not survive without the passage of the Constitution. The Federalists included big property owners in the North, conservative small farmers and businessmen, wealthy merchants, clergymen, judges, lawyers, and professionals. They favored weaker state governments, a strong centralized government, the indirect election of government officials, longer term limits for officeholders, and representative, rather than direct, democracy.

Federalists argued that the national government would only have the powers specifically granted to it by the Constitution. They believed that by dividing the government into separate branches, with checks and balances, no one branch or person could get too powerful. They also argued that the Constitution already contained protections for individual liberties in Article I, Sections 9 and 10, which limited Congress and the states.

Alexander Hamilton was an influential Federalist who wrote many essays advocating for the ratification of the Constitution. He built a national network of supporters that emerged as the Federalist Party, which supported a strong national government and an expansive interpretation of congressional powers under the Constitution. James Madison was another prominent Federalist who authored many of the Federalist Papers.

The Federalists ultimately prevailed in the ratification debates, and the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1788 and went into effect in 1789.

Federalists lost power in 1800 to Thomas Jefferson

The Federalist Party, formed in support of the Constitution, was led by Alexander Hamilton and included figures such as President George Washington. The Federalists supported a strong central government, a national bank, tariffs, and good relations with Britain. They were opposed by the Anti-Federalists, led by Thomas Jefferson, who advocated for states' rights and agrarian society.

In the 1790s, Jefferson, as Secretary of State, observed and opposed Federalist policies, believing they subverted the Constitution. He and James Madison, who largely authored the Constitution, built a rival network of supporters, forming the Democratic-Republican Party.

In 1800, an intense election took place, pitting the Federalists against Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans. The Federalists had the support of the House of Representatives and could have swayed the election in their favour. However, Alexander Hamilton, who disliked John Burr, threw his support behind Jefferson. This, along with the overwhelming support of the citizenry, led to Jefferson's victory in what became known as the "revolution of 1800".

The election of 1800 marked the first peaceful transfer of power between opposing political parties in American history. It also marked the end of Federalist control of the national government and the beginning of a shift in their political base to New England. The Federalists would continue to face losses, with their party eventually shrinking to a few isolated strongholds by the start of the Era of Good Feelings (1816-1824).

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