[[image:alexhamilton.jpg|thumb|The Federalist Party was founded by Treasury Secretary [[Alexander Hamilton]] in 17921791. He was killed in a duel with Vice President [[Aaron Burr]] in 1804.]] {{AmericanPoliticalParty | party_name=Federalist Party | party_articletitle =Federalist Party | party_logo = | website = | headquarters = | chairman = [[Alexander Hamilton]] | houseleader = | senateleader = | foundation = 1789 | ideology =[[right-wing]] | fiscalpolicy = American School | socialpolicy = Classical conservatism | colors =black and white | footnotes =}}The '''Federalist Party''' was the first grass-roots a U.S. political party in world history. It was founded in 1791 by Treasury Secretary [[Alexander Hamilton]] in the early 1790s to rally national . It rallied support for Hamilton's economic programs and creation the administrations of a strong national government. Notable spokesmen included [[Alexander HamiltonGeorge Washington]], and [[John JayAdams]], and it promoted various policies designed to strengthen the national government. It was the world's first political party. Notable spokesmen included [[John AdamsJay]] and author [[Noah Webster]]. The party greatly admired [[George Washington]]; Washington was never a member , but he did endorse most of its policies. The Federalists were vigorously--and even viciously--opposed by the [[Republicans (Jeffersonian)|Republicans]], a rival party led by [[Thomas Jefferson]] and [[James Madison]]. The Federalists elected Adams president in 1796. In 1799, but were the party was at the peak of its power. It controlled all branches of government, including Congress, the presidency, and the courts. That changed dramatically when Jefferson defeated Adams in the "Revolution of 1800 and subsequent elections." Although Jefferson's margin of victory was narrow, the Federalists never recovered. Without outstanding leaders, the party was an antiquated, backward-looking organization. All the same, it was never the "elitist" party that its critics accused it of being. The Jeffersonians were better campaigners and more willing to listen voting strength of the party ranged from 48 percent for DeWitt Clinton in 1812 to 27 percent for Charles C. Pinckney in 1804. So it had support far beyond the voice "gentleman class," which was only 5 to 10 percent of the peoplepopulation. Despite too<ref>Gordon S. Wood, ''[https://books.google.com.sg/books?id=AWI8fmyhN5IC&dq= Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-late efforts 1815]'', p. 22.</ref> The [[Hartford Convention]], which was a nearly treasonous gathering by younger Federalistsin December 1815, that doomed their entire political party relied too much on eminent elderly elites who as publicity about it spread. Within a few years they were reluctant extinct. Most became [[moderate]] [[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republicans]] and broke away in 1824 to seek form the views of [[National Republican Party]], which indirectly succeeded the votersFederalist Party.
==History==
The name "federalist" is derived from ''[[The Federalist Papers]]'', a collection of newspaper columns that supported ratification of U.S. Constitution. These columns were written in 1787 by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. Those who supported ratification were called federalists, while those who opposed it were called "anti-federalists." The Federalist Party was one the first [[political partiesparty]] in the [[United States]]. In 1790, U.S. [[Secretary of the Treasury]] [[Alexander Hamilton]] proposed a set of reforms designed to put the new federal government on a strong financial basis. The plan divided Congress, and those into factions. Those Congressmen who supported Hamilton 's reforms became the Federalist Party. The opposition was led by Madison. Although Madison had been a leading federalist in the fight for ratification, he was not a member of Hamilton's Federalist Party. Conversely, [[Chief JusticePatrick Henry]] [[John Marshall]] was , the last Federalist in the federal governmentmost prominent critic of ratification, serving until his death in 1835. The did join Hamilton's party met . (Both positions reflect Henry's longstanding rivalry with several setbacks Madison.) Hamilton's reputation suffered in the early nineteenth century 1797 when it was revealed that led to its demisehe had had an extramarital affair. Hamiltonwas the party's original thinker and idea man, their leader, but he had to work to control his impulsive and moody side. Washington was a father figure to Hamilton and could intervene. After Washington died in 1804 as 1799, rivalry between Adams and Hamilton became intense. Hamilton wrote a result pamphlet that accused Adams of being mentally unstable. The pamphlet succeeded in undermining Adams' bid for reelection, but it also effectively ended Hamilton's political career. Following Jefferson's triumph in the election of 1800, Adams retired to his famous duel with [[Aaron Burr]]farm in Massachusetts. After twelve years of dominance under presidents Washington and Adams, the Federalists found themselves in opposition and without outstanding leaders. The party drew most 's base of its support from was in New England, a region that largely opposed dependent on trade with Britain. Meanwhile, Republican "war hawks" in the West and South saw war with Britain as a way of acquiring agricultural land in Canada and in the West. Federalist fortunes revived briefly during the [[War of 1812]]. Many In the 1812 election, DeWitt Clinton received 48 percent of the Federalist Party's leaders labeled vote as the conflict “Mr. Madison’s Waranti-war candidate.” The Federalists were among With the interests that called war continuing to go poorly, the Federalists sponsored the [[Hartford Convention]] in 1814 for the purpose of amending the Constitution, and carried with it the implied threat of secessionto propose constitutional amendments. However, the convention dissolved with news of After the [[Treaty of Ghent]] and [[Andrew Jackson]]’s victory at the [[Battle of New Orleans]]in 1815, the fear of defeat that inspired the convention was forgotten and involvement opened former participants to the accusation of treason. The fortunes of difficulties the party declined after U.S. encountered early in the War of 1812. The war demonstrated that the Federalists had been right about the need for a stronger national government. Various Federalist In 1816, Congress rechartered the Bank of the United States and enacted protective tariffs. Peace with Britain the adoption of nationalistic financial and economic policiesmeant that the issues that had long driven partisan rivalry no longer existed. In the spring of 1816, [[Rufus King]], including the recreation last Federalist nominee for president, wrote, "I presume that the failure will, as I think it should, discourage the Federalists from maintaining a fruitless struggle."<ref>Seltzer, Richard, ''[https://books.google.com.sg/books?id=Ig9zBQAAQBAJ&dq= The Death of the Federalist Party]'' (2014)</ref> As King predicted, Republican [[James Monroe]] won the 1816 election in a central banklandslide, kicking off a non-partisan "[[Era of Good Feelings]]." New Hampshire Congressman [[Daniel Webster]], were adopted by Madison and the Republicansmost promising of the young Federalist leaders at this point, making switched parties. In 1820, Monroe was reelected without opposition. Defeat in the Massachusetts governor's race of 1823 ended the party itself redundant's history. [[Chief Justice]] [[John Marshall]] was the last Federalist in the federal government, serving until his death in 1835.
==Platform==
The Federalists advocated a strong national government, capable of holding its own in a world at war. At the state level they promoted strong state governments. Foreign policy was a decisive issue in the 1790s and the Federalists promoted friendship and trade with Britain, especially through the [[Jay Treaty]], which was highly controversial but ratified in 1795. The Jeffersonians admired the French Revolution and feared that close ties with Britain would threaten [[republicanism]] and move the new republic back toward monarchy. In terms of economics, federalists subscribed to the Hamiltonian notion that the United States must engage in manufacturing and commerce in order to become a great power.
==Confusion on name==The Federalist Party of the 1790s is often confused with the "federalists" of 1787-88, because of overlapping membership. The federalists of 1787-88 were a loose coalition led by Hamilton and Madison that supported ratification of the Constitution. They were opposed by an even looser coalition called the "anti-federalists." Neither group was a party and neither ran candidates. Both disappeared after the Constitution was ratified in 1788. Madison was a leader of the federalists of 1787-88, but broke with Hamilton and formed the opposing [[Republican party]] in 1792, along with Jefferson. ==Federalist Presidentspresidents==* [[John Adams]] (1797-1801)
==See also==
*[[Democratic-Republican PartyFederalist Papers]]*[[Republicans (Jeffersonian)]]*[[Anti-Federalist PartyFederalists]]
==Bibliography==
* Banner, James M. ''To the Hartford Convention: The Federalists and the Origins of Party Politics in Massachusetts, 1789–1815'' (1970)
* Chambers, William Nisbet. ''Political Parties in a New Nation: The American Experience, 1776-1809'' (1963)
* Chambers, William Nisbet, ed. ''The First Party System: Federalists and Republicans'' (1972)
* Chernow, Ron. ''Alexander Hamilton'' (2004), most recent major biography [httphttps://www.amazon.com/Alexander-Hamilton-Ron-Chernow/dp/B000UENRQU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195646787&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Cunningham Jr., Noble E., ed. ''The Making of the American Party System 1789 to 1809'' 1965. Excerpts from primary sources
* Dunn, Susan. ''Jefferson's Second Revolution: The Election Crisis of 1800 and the Triumph of Republicanism'' (2004) [httphttps://www.amazon.com/Jeffersons-Second-Revolution-Election-Republicanism/dp/B000V5WJIK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212110449&sr=8-5 excerpt and text search]
* Elkins, Stanley, and Eric McKitrick. ''The Age of Federalism: The Early American Republic, 1788–1800'' 1993, the most detailed and sophisticated political history of the era. [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=59152800 online edition]
* Ferling, John. ''Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800,'' (2004) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=108219147 online edition]
* Formisano, Ronald. ''The Transformation of Political Culture: Massachusetts Parties, 1790s–1840s'' (1983)
* Fox, Dixon Ryan. ''The Decline of Aristocracy in the Politics of New York, 1801–1840'' (1919)
* Hildreth, Richard. ''History of the United States'' (1851) vol 4 covering 1790s. [httphttps://books.google.com/books?vid=LCCN04017780&id=yb60wY8okMkC&pg=PR11&dq=%22richard+hildreth%22 online edition], by leading conservative historian of 1840s
* Humphrey, Carol Sue ''The Press of the Young Republic, 1783–1833'' 1996 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=71887465 online edition]
* Knudson, Jerry W. ''Jefferson And the Press: Crucible of Liberty'' (2006) how 4 four Republican and 4 four Federalist papers covered election of 1800; Thomas Paine; Louisiana Purchase; Hamilton-Burr duel; impeachment of Chase; and the embargo [httphttps://www.amazon.com/Jefferson-Press-Crucible-Jerry-Knudson/dp/1570036071/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195647283&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Larson, Edward J. ''A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America's First Presidential Campaign.'' (2007). 333 pp. on 1800 [http://www.common-place.org/vol-08/no-03/reviews/opal.shtml online review]
* McCormick, Richard P. ''The Second Party System: Party Formation in the Jacksonian Era'' (1966) details the collapse state by state
* McCullough, David. ''John Adams'' (2002), very well written popular biography; Pulitzer Prize; [httphttps://www.amazon.com/John-Adams-David-McCullough/dp/0743223136/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195647342&sr=1-3 excerpt and text search]
* McDonald, Forrest. ''The Presidency of George Washington'' (1974), by leading conservative historian
* McDonald, Forrest. ''Alexander Hamilton: A Biography'' (1979) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=101665868 online edition] biography focused on intellectual history esp on AH's republicanism.
[[Category:United States Political Parties]]
[[Category:Republicanism]]
[[Category:Conservative OrganizationsPolitical Parties]]
[[Category:Early National U.S.]]
[[Category:Modernization]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]