Federalists
A term used to describe supporters of the Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures.
The Federalists were a political party in the United States during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They were active from 1789 to 1824 and advocated for a strong central government and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
The Federalists were led by Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, John Jay, and James Madison. They believed in a strong federal government and a central bank. They favored policies that encouraged trade and commerce, as well as a strong national defense.
The party believed in a strict interpretation of the Constitution, which meant that the federal government could only exercise powers explicitly granted to it in the text of the Constitution. They were also proponents of a national banking system, which they believed would help to stabilize the economy and promote the growth of commerce.
The party’s support for a strong centralized government put them at odds with the Democratic-Republicans, who favored a smaller federal government and stronger states’ rights. The Federalists also opposed the French Revolution and were generally pro-British in their foreign policy.
The Federalist Party declined in the early 19th century due to a variety of factors, including the lack of a strong leader after the death of Hamilton and the Alien and Sedition Acts, which were seen as an attack on free speech. However, the Federalist legacy lives on in the strong, centralized federal government that the party helped to establish.
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