Federalists
(noun)
Statesmen who supported ratification of the proposed Constitution between 1787 and 1789.
Examples of Federalists in the following topics:
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The Federalists
- With the passage of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the first Federalist movement and the Anti-Federalist movements eventually dispersed, although many of the original Federalists and Anti-Federalists would play key roles in the formation of the Federalist and Democratic-Republican Parties.
- While the Federalist movement of the 1780s and the Federalist Party were distinct entities, they were related in more than just a common name.
- These themes had resonated with the Anti-Federalists, the opposition to the Federalist movement of the 1780s.
- In short, nearly all of the opponents of the Federalist movement became opponents of the Federalist Party.
- The Federalist movement reached its zenith with the election of John Adams.
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The "Reign of Witches"
- The "Reign of Witches" was a descriptive catchphrase used by Democratic-Republicans to criticize the Federalist Alien and Sedition Acts.
- "The Reign of Witches" is a termed used by Democrat-Republicans to describe the Federalist party and John Adams after the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts.
- This legislation, Jeffersonian democrats argued, proved that Federalists were intent on establishing a tyrannical, aristocratic government and would silence the opposition through political persecution.
- They believed the Federalist party was unconstitutionally developing a tyrannical centralized government.
- The Federalist-dominated Congress believed that Democrat-Republicans, fueled by the French and French-sympathizing immigrants, posed a subversive threat to the United States.
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The Anti-Federalists
- As the Federalists moved to amend the Articles, eventually leading to the Philadelphia Convention and drafting of a new Constitution, they dubbed their opposition Anti-Federalists.
- These so-called Anti-Federalists rejected the term, arguing that they were the true federalists.
- However, the Federalists prevailed and Anti-Federalist remained the term of choice for all opposed to amending the Articles of Confederation.
- Anti-Federalists represented diverse, though similar, opinions.
- Historians gathered the best and most influential of the subsequent articles and speeches into a collection known as the Anti-Federalist Papers, alluding to the well-known Federalist Papers.
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Federalists
- Federalists supported ratification of the new United States Constitution and published The Federalist Papers to encourage support from the states.
- This group appropriated the name Federalist.
- As the Federalists moved to amend the Articles and create a new Constitution, they dubbed their opposition Anti-Federalists.
- There are many highlights among the essays of The Federalist Papers.
- This was released that March 2 and titled The Federalist.
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The Ratification of the Constitution
- Those who favored ratification of the Constitution were known as Federalists, while those who opposed it were considered Anti- Federalists.
- Those who favored ratification were known as Federalists, while those who opposed it were considered Anti-Federalists.
- The Senate of 11 states included 20 Federalists to two Virginian Anti-Federalists.
- The House would seat 48 Federalists to 11 Anti-Federalists from only four states: Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, and South Carolina.
- Compare the political concerns of the Federalist with that of the Anti-Federalist
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The Anti-Federalists
- As the Federalists moved forward with their efforts to amend the Articles, they applied the term "Anti-Federalist" to this type of opposition.
- The Anti-Federalists rejected the term, arguing that they were the true Federalists.
- For example, an unknown Anti-Federalist signed his public correspondence as "A Federal Farmer" and the New York committee opposing the Constitution was called the "Federal Republican Committee. " However, the Federalists prevailed and the name Anti-Federalist stuck to their opposition.
- The Anti-Federalists played upon these feelings in the ratification convention in Massachusetts.
- Anti-Federalists are thus credited with pressuring Federalists to concede the U.S.
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The Transfer of Power between the Federalists and the Republicans
- The Federalists were dominant until the Election of 1800.
- The Federalists appealed to the business community, the Republicans to the planters and farmers.
- The Federalists won and the Constitution was ratified; however, the Anti-Federalists remained deeply concerned about the dangers of a strong central government (like Britain) that would one day usurp the rights of the states.
- It also alienated some original Federalists.
- Identify the central conflict between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists (Democratic-Republicans)
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The Ratification Debate
- The process of ratifying the proposed United States Constitution led to prolonged debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists.
- Two parties soon developed: Federalists in support of the Constitution and Anti-Federalists opposed.
- The Federalists succeeded owing largely to Hamilton's efforts to reach a number of key compromises with moderate Anti-Federalists.
- These included Virginia's elector, the Anti-Federalist Patrick Henry.
- The newly elected Congress was a victory for Federalists, as the Senate included 20 Federalists and two Anti-Federalists, and the House would seat 48 Federalists and just 11 Anti-Federalists.
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The Adams Presidency
- As the second president to hold office, Federalist John Adams followed Washington's example in stressing civic virtue and republican values.
- He shared the Federalist belief that the Constitution provided for a strong centralized government; to that end, he retained the Federalist cabinet members who had served under Washington, continued to expand Hamilton's economic policies (for example, building a strong national economy), and greatly increased the size of the navy and army.
- Adams ideologically identified with the Federalists, but he remained quite independent of both the party and his cabinet throughout his term, often making decisions despite strong opposition from both Democratic-Republicans and Federalists.
- Alexander Hamilton and the Federalists supported Britain, while Vice President Thomas Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans favored France.
- The Alien and Sedition Acts were four bills passed in 1798 by the Federalists in the fifth U.S.
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The Republican Victory
- The election of 1800 marked a peaceful transition of power from Federalists to Democratic-Republicans.
- Meanwhile, the Republicans accused Federalists of destroying republican values by favoring aristocratic, anti-republican principles.
- While Democratic-Republicans were firmly aligned behind Jefferson and Burr, the Federalists began to fracture.
- A faction of so-called "High Federalists" emerged under Alexander Hamilton, who strongly opposed Adams's reelection.
- In part, this was because this regime change did not necessarily signal a complete overhaul of Federalist policies.