Americas First Political Party Federalist Party

As the first organized American political party, the Federalist Party was active from the early 1790s to the 1820s. In a battle of political philosophies between Founding Fathers, the Federalist Party, led by second president John Adams, controlled the federal government until 1801, when it lost the White House to the Anti-Federalist-inspired Democratic-Republican party led by third president Thomas Jefferson. The Federalists Briefly Originally formed to support the fiscal and banking policies of Alexander Hamilton, theFederalist Party promoted domestic policy that provided for a strong central government, stimulated economic growth, and maintained a fiscally responsible federal budget. In their foreign policy, Federalists favored establishing a warm diplomatic relationship with England, while opposing the French Revolution. Key Takeaways: The Federalist Party The Federalist Party was America’s first official political party.It existed from the early 1790s to the early 1820s.Its only member to serve as president was John Adams, elected in 1796.Other leaders included Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and John Marshall.It was opposed by the Democratic-Republican Party led by Thomas Jefferson.The party stood for a strong central government, a sound economy, and diplomacy with Britain. The lone Federalist Party president was John Adams, who served from March 4, 1797,  to March 4, 1801. While Adams’ predecessor, President George Washington, was considered favorable to Federalist policy, he never officially identified with any political party, remaining non-partisan throughout his eight-year presidency.   After John Adams’ presidency ended in 1801, Federalist Party nominees continued to run unsuccessfully in presidential elections through 1816. The party remained active in some states until the 1820s, with most of its former members adopting the Democratic or Whig parties. Despite its relatively short lifespan compared to today’s two major parties, the Federalist Party left a lasting impression on America by establishing the fundamentals of a national economy and banking system, solidifying the national judicial system, and creating principles of foreign policy and diplomacy still in use today. Along with John Adams and Alexander Hamilton, other prominent Federalist Party leaders included first Chief Justice John Jay, Secretary of State and Chief Justice John Marshall, Secretary of State and Secretary of War Timothy Pickering, renowned statesman Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and U.S. Senator and diplomat Rufus King. In 1787, these eventual Federalist Party leaders had all been part of a larger group that favored reducing the powers of the states by replacing the failing Articles of Confederation with a new constitution proving for a stronger central government. However, since many members of the future Anti-Federalist Democratic-Republican party of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison had also advocated for the Constitution, the Federalist Party is not directly descended from the pro-Constitution or â€Å"federalist† group. Instead, both the Federalist Party and its opponent Democratic-Republican Party evolved in response to other issues. Where the Federalist Party Stood on the Issues The Federalist Party was shaped by its response to three key issues facing the new federal government: the fragmented monetary system of state banks, diplomatic relations with Great Britain, and most controversially, the need for a new United States Constitution. To address the banking and monetary situation, the Federalists advocated for Alexander Hamilton’s plan to charter a national bank, create a federal mint, and have the federal government assume the outstanding Revolutionary War debts of the states. The Federalists also stood for good relations with Great Britain as expressed by John Jay in his Treaty of Amity negotiated in 1794. Known as â€Å"Jay’s Treaty,† the agreement sought to resolve outstanding Revolution War issues between the two nations and granted the U.S. limited trading rights with Britain’s nearby Caribbean colonies. Finally, the Federalist Party strongly argued for ratification of the new Constitution. To help interpret the Constitution, Alexander Hamilton developed and promoted the concept of the implied powers of Congress that, while not specifically granted to it in the Constitution, were deemed â€Å"necessary and proper.†Ã‚   The Loyal Opposition The Federalist Party’s opponent, the Democratic-Republican Party, led by Thomas Jefferson, denounced the ideas of a national bank and implied powers, and viciously attacked Jay’s Treaty with Britain as a betrayal of hard-won American values. They publicly denounced Jay and Hamilton as treasonous monarchists, even distributing leaflets that read: â€Å"Damn John Jay! Damn everyone that wont damn John Jay! Damn every one that wont put lights in his window and sit up all night damning John Jay!† The Rapid Rise and Fall of the Federalist Party As history shows, Federalist leader John Adams won the presidency in 1798, Hamilton’s â€Å"Bank of the United States† came to be, and Jay’s Treaty was ratified. Along with the support of non-partisan President George Washington they had enjoyed before Adams’ election, the Federalists won most significant legislative battles during the 1790s. Though the Federalist Party had the support of voters in the nation’s large cities and all of New England, its electoral power began to erode rapidly as the Democratic-Republican Party built a large and dedicated base in the numerous rural communities of the South. After a hard-fought campaign revolving around fallout from the French Revolution and the so-called Quasi-War with France, and new taxes imposed by the Federalist administration, Democratic-Republican candidate Thomas Jefferson defeated incumbent Federalist President John Adams by a mere eight electoral votes in the contested election of 1800. Despite continuing to field candidates through 1816, the Federalist Party never regained control of the White House or Congress. While its vocal opposition to the War of 1812 helped it to recover some support, it all but vanished during the Era of Good Feelings that followed the end of the war in 1815. Today, the legacy of the Federalist Party remains in the form of America’s strong central government, a stable national banking system, and resilient economic base. While never regaining executive power, the Federalist’s principles continued to shape constitutional and judicial policy for nearly three decades through Supreme Court’s rulings under Chief Justice John Marshall. Sources Anti-Federalist vs. Federalist, Diffen.comWood, Empire of Liberty: A history of the Early Republic, 1789–1815 (2009).John C. Miller, The Federalist Era 1789–1801 (1960)Elkins and McKitrick, Age of Federalism, pp 451–61Federalist Party: Facts and Summary, History.com