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The Federalist Party was one of the original two political parties existing at the beginning of the United State's history. As did the opposing Democratic-Republican party, it's birth was within the congressional and executive branches of the govenment during the first administration of George Washington. It thrived as the most dominant political power in the government until it's downfall in the election of 1800. Finally, until 1816, it repeatedly challenged the office of the President proving unsuccessful each time. However, it did remain a force in some states like Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Delaware into the mid-1820's. As the party dwindled, it's members seeped into the Whig Party and the Democratic Party headed by Andrew Jackson. The Federalist Party also had its own share of influential men advocating its policies. Notable are Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, John Jay, George Cabot, Rufus King, John Marshall, Timothy Pickering, and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. They, in 1787, pushed for a more effective Constitution. The group arose from debating new issues under new circum- stances. It was not from, a line of pro-Constitutionalist group evolving in the 1780's. Alexander Hamilton, the undisputed champion of the Federalist Party, appealed directly to business interests such as holders of government securities, financiers, manufacturers, shipowners, and speculators in Western lands. He attracted support from those we advocated a strong and stable, centralized government as opposed to dispersing power to states. Hamilton supported the Tories who had stayed in America and were now citizens. He in effect, represented all the "wealth and talents" of the 1 Conservative classes in the United States. Until the party's defeat in 1800, it had an aristocratic style that frowned upon democracy. The party's main thrust was situated in the North- east, where the failings of the Confederation government before 1788 had occassional economic distress, commercial stagnation, and a fear of civil 2 disorder. Although the party had some influence in Virgina, North Carolina, and parts of Charlestown, SC, the South's major appeal was given to Thomas Jefferson. The small farmers who owned and worked their land shifted toward the Republican Party. Freehold farmers, Jefferson felt, were 3 the best and truest support for the Republican government. Washington's views and actions clearly put him in the Federalists camp. Throughout, his presidencey, he preferred to appoint men who supported the Constitution and a strong federal government with authority. Although Washington was determined to represent all the people, he surrounded himself with those who supported the new form of government. He also fought to make the federal government effective. Thus, those 4 elected to Congress as "Federalists" gave him the most support. A well-defined Federalist party was nonexistent before 1794. After Washington's inauguration in 1789, many debates began in Congress and the Cabinet over the ideas that the Secretary of the Treasury Hamilton proposed. He felt that the national government should assume all state debts, fund the national debt at par value, and charter a national bank. A national bank was crucial for Hamilton and Federalist economic plans. Modeled after the Bank of England, it put "wealth into the hands of men who were best qualified to use it for constructive national purposes," according to Hamilton. Such a bank would increase the capital for businesses, support the value of government bonds, provide a source of public loans, speed up the collection and disbursement of money, and quicken circulation of currency. Hamilton theorized that a bank could be founded with the investment of the federal government as well as private individuals. He wanted the government to supervise the bank while the private share holders manage it. The government would pay one-fifth of the ten millon dollar bill while other investors could purchase bonds up to three-fourths the value of the stocks. Such notes were acceptable as payment for all debts to the United 5 States and thus became a form of national currency. Now the Agrarian critics were alarmed. Its granted monopoly did not seem justified. Its very existence as a government supported institution, was doubted. One congressman went as far as saying that he "would no more be 6 seen entering a bank than a house of ill fame." The question of its constitutionality brought forth another political issue that seperated the parties. Hamiltonians believed in the "loose" interpretation of the Constitution. They felt that the authority to charter such an institution was implied and therefore saw nothing wrong in creating it. Jeffersonians felt a lax interpretation was not intended by our fore- fathers. Thus, anything not specifically written in the Constitution was illegal. Even Madison, in his most nationalistic phase, doubted Congresses ultimate power to create such a charter. He insisted that there were no words written in the Articles of Confederation permitting the establishment of such a charter. Finally, the Federalists succeeded in their milestone attempt at centralization. The House of Representatives enacted the Bank of the 7 United States by a vote of thirty-seven to twenty. In 1794, the two parties drew distinct lines of seperation. The creation of Jay's Treaty caused much friction between the Federalist party led by Hamilton and the Democratic-Republican party of Madison and Jefferson. To prevent an arising war, President Washington sent Chief Justice John Jay to London to discuss a possible truce. The Republicans did not like the choice of representative because of Jay's reputation for being a die-hard Federalist. They questioned his allegiance to the United States. In the treaty, it seemed as though the United States had surren- dered. Jay had received few rewards for his country during the negotia- tions. The British had received the bargaining strategies from doubtful Hamilton and thus overwhelmed John Jay. The talks proved futile for the United States but also spelled disaster for the Republican South. Britain agreed to pay damages for the recent seizures of American Ships. In return, the debts owed to British merchants on pre-Revolutionary accounts were still held binding. As money was rolling in to Federalist shippers collecting damages, more was leaving the south as the Jeffersonian planters paid off their debts. This economic tradegy split the two parties, both sectionally and politically. There was now a very fine line between the Federalists and the Democratic Republicans. From then on, the Federalists enjoyed commercial and diplomatic harmony with Britain, domestic stability and order, and a strong national government under powerful exective and judicial branches. George Washington, by the end of his second term was closely identified as a Federalist. His actions and words reflected that. Many analyses can be obtained on the Farewell Address written by Washington during the remaining days of his administration. Many argue that Washington "was doing two quite contradictory things. In repeating traditional dogmas against party and faction, he was striking at the Republican opposition, thus in effect making a partisan statement himself, and this reflected "his intellectual confusion" (as Richard Hofstadter has put it) "about the problem of government and opposition." He was ' allying himself with a party... not knowing that he had done so,' having 8 just issued a `campaign document' against the other party." Washington declares, "it is the duty of every individual to obey the established government." Therefore "all combinations and associations, under whatever plausible character, with the real design to direct, controul, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, are destructive of this fundamental principles... They serve to organize faction; to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put in the place of the delegated will of the nation of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community, and according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of ill-concerted and incongruous projects of fraction rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans, digested by common counsels and modified by mutual 9 interests." From this quote, Washington was speaking of specific men who were doing these things. He wanted to warn his fellow citizens. Thus, in his Farewell Address to the United States, he was not only bidding his people adieu, he was telling them that he had, to all intents 10 and purposes, became a Federalist without openly acknowledging it. Unable to persuade Washington to lead them again for a third term, the Federalists went to Vice-President John Adams who had a conservative outlook. The Federalists, however, disapproved of his independence in politics and disagreements with Hamilton, who, while not occupying and official position within the government, continued to have much influence over the members of the president's cabinet. Adams continued with Washington's cabinet officers and maintained the financials and commercial policies designed by Hamilton. With Britain, he remained neutral. However, with France, a more complicated issue took place. To ease the strain with France over the recent signing of Jay's Treaty, Adams sent envoys to reach a settlement. The Americans had a chilly reception when demanded for a bribe. Adams reported the three French 12 Agents as X,Y, and Z to Congress and to the public. A popular cry was "Millions for defence, but not one cent for tribute!" An undeclared war began. Adams received Federalist support while Republicans criticized his actions. As the quasi-war died away, the Federalists took the popularity that they were receiving to hamper the position of their opposition. In 1798, they ran through Congress, the notorious Alien and Sedition Acts. The Alien Act, though never exercised, gave the President power for two years to expel any alien whom he might deem "dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States." This seemed like a violation of liberty to 13 most Americans, especially to the unnaturalized Irish and French. Only the Sedition Law compared to the unconstitutionality of the Alien Act. It placed heavy penalties on anyone found guilty of trying to stir up "Sedition" or who wrote anything "false, scandelous, or malicious" against either house of Congress, the President, or the government. Adams began to have more and more disagreements within his party and from the Hamilton faction, especially with military matters. By demand, he sealed negotiations with France in 1799 and reorganized the cabinet to be 14 under his control, thus making a break from the Hamiltonians. This step probably helped the Federalist position. It was not enough, however, to defeat Jefferson in the presidential election of 1800. Jefferson's policies were not at all outlandish to most moderate Federalists. Therefore, he hoped to win them over and gain their support. The Federalist Party was now breaking up. During the last declining days of his presidency, Adams managed to make peace with France, and appoint moderate Federalist John Marshall as Chief Justice. Marshall preserved the Federalist principles on the bench long after their death. The Federalists had finally found themselves in the opposition. At last, they made a well organized system of state party organizations and adopted democratic ways to attract voters. Primarily concentrated in the Northeast, they began to consider themselves a sectional minority. Unable to maintain their original political concepts, they diverged from their previous advocacy to strong central government. They opposed the Louisiana Purchase as being too costly and destructive of Northern influence. As time wore on, they continued to lose power nationally and were left carrying only Connecticut, Delaware, and part of Maryland against Jefferson in 1804. With that defeat and Hamilton's death during the same year, the Fed- eralist Party might not have survived. It was revived, however, from the blunder made by Jefferson's wrongful Embargo of 1807. This use of executive prerogative was as high handed as any Federalist act. As a result, the Federalists carried all of New England, Delaware, and parts of North Carolina and Maryland in the 1808 election against Madison. Luckily, their hopes were kept alive with the declaration of war in 1812. That brought New York, New Jersey, and more of Maryland under their wing. However, their interjection of the war effort almost instantly destroyed the party's popularity. In late 1814, when the capture of New Orleans seemed imminent, Mas- sachusetts called for a Convention at Hartford. Three states sent full delegations while two other sent partial representation. A group of twenty-six Federalists, discussed, for three weeks, their grievances and to seek redress for their wrongs. When all of their problems were discussed, they sent three special envoys to the capital. When they arrived, they were overwhelmed by the news from New Orleans, followed by that from Ghent. With much embarrass- ment, they hung their heads in shame and crawled away leaving an 15 impresssion that they had committed treason. During the election of 1816, the party carried only Connecticut, Mass- achusetts, and Delaware. They lost to Monroe. The Federalist Party lingered on in these states but never regained power. By 1828, it had completely disappeared. The party's contribution to the development of this country is evident. Its principles bestowed a form and basis to mature on during its later endeavors. Its leaders had laid the basis of a national economy, created a national judicial system, and created universal principles of foreign policy. But its failure to accommodate to the changing times and the desire of its people left it a dinosaur wondering through a modern city. Many Americans could not accept its economic aggressiveness. It was the simple folk who plowed and tilled their land that wanted to govern them- selves. Democracy had finally shined through. However, as Federalists would have wished, ignoring immediate advantage, they gained the esteem of posterity. Bibliography Beard, Charles A. and Beard, Mary R. and Beard, William, The Beards' New Basic History of the United States, New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1960, p.163-167 Bowers, Claude G., Jefferson and Hamilton The Struggle for Democracy In America, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1953, p.140, 375-378 Elkins, Stanley and McKitrick, Eric., The Age of Federalism, New York: Oxford University Press. 1993, p.490, 493-496, 694-696 Ellis, Joseph J., Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams, New York: W. W. Norton & Company. 1993, p.27-29 Hofstadter, Richard, The American Political Tradition and the Men Who Made It, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1965, p.29-38, 41 Miller, John C., The Federalist Era, New York: Harper & Row, 1965, p.55-69 Nordham, George W., The Age of Washington, Chicago: Adams Press, 1989, p.237 Sources of the American Republic, vol. I, ed. by M. Meyers, A. Kern, J. G. Cawelti, Glenview, Illinois: Scot Foresman, 1960 Footnotes 1. Charles A. Beard and Mary R. Beard and William Beard, The Beards' New Basic History of the United States, (New York: 1960), pp. 164 2. Ibid. 3. Ibid. 4. George W. Nordham, The Age of Washington, (Chicago: 1989), pp. 237 5. John C. Miller, The Federalist Era, (New York: 1965), pp.55-57 Sources of the American Republic, vol. I, ed. by M. Meyers, A. Kern, J. G. Cawelti, (Glenview, Illinois: 1960), pp. 197 6. Ibid. 7. Nordham, op. cit., pp.57 8. Stanley Elkins and Eric McKitrick, The Age of Federalism, (New York: 1993), pp.493-494 9. Ibid., pp. 494 10. Ibid., pp. 490 11. Joseph J. Ellis, Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams, (New York: 1993), pp. 27-28 12. Beard, op. cit., pp.164 13. Ibid., pp.165-167 Elkins, op. cit., pp. 694-696 Claude G. Bowers, Jefferson and Hamilton The Struggle for Democracy In America, (Boston: 1953), pp. 376-377 14. Richard Hofstadter, The American Political Tradition & the Men Who Made It, (New York: Alfred A. Knopf), 1965, pp.32 15. Beard, op. cit., pp. 170