Chapter 8 The Federalist Era
(1789-1800)
Section 3 The First Political
Parties
What do you think is the most important
principle of Jefferson’s Republican party?
A. Strong emphasis on
states’ rights
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B
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D. Protection of civil liberties
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C. Strict interpretation of
the Constitution
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B. Accessibility of politics
to the average citizen
How did the Federalist and
Republican Parties form, and on what
issues did they disagree?
Opposing Views
• Even President
Washington was not
liked by everyone
• Many of those were
supporters of Thomas
Jefferson
• Political Parties
began to form
• People disagreed
with each other, even
in Washington’s
cabinet (Hamilton and
Jefferson)
• Even Washington
was partisan
(Favored one side of
an issue)
• Washington usually
favored Hamilton
Political Parties Emerge
• Similar differences
existed in Congress
• Two distinct political
parties formed
• Federalists- supported
the policies of
Washington’s
administration
• DemocraticRepublicans
(Republicans)
Which of the following was NOT a
United States political party?
A. Democrats
B. Revisionists
C. Republicans
D. Federalists
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Federalists
• Stood for a strong federal
government
• Favored banking and shipping
interests
• Support in the Northeast and
wealthy plantation owners of the
South
• 1791- Philip Freneau wrote the
National Gazette that turned public
opinion against the Federalist
• (Jefferson, Secretary of State,
helped it get started)
• Jefferson and Madison later
organized people who disagreed
with Hamilton
• Were called the DemocraticRepublicans
Democratic-Republicans
• “Republicans” wanted to
limit the government’s
power
• Feared a strong federal
government would
endanger people’s
liberties
• Appealed to small
farmers and urban
workers
• Support in the Middle
Atlantic states and the
South
Views of the Constitution
• Hamilton’s view (Fed.)- federal
government had implied
powers (Loose Construction)
• Powers not expressly
forbidden in the constitution
• Hamilton used this idea to
justify a national bank
• Jefferson and Madison (D-R)disagreed and said there is a
strict construction of the
Constitution
• They believed implied powers
are “absolutely necessary” to
carry out the expressed
powers
The People’s Role
• Federalists supported
representative government
• Public office should be held by
honest and educated men
• Ordinary people were too likely to
be swayed
• Republicans feared a strong
central government
• Washington tried to get his two
advisors (Hamilton and Jefferson)
to work out their differences
• They didn’t and Jefferson
resigned as Secretary of State
• Later Hamilton resigned as
Secretary of the Treasury
Election of 1796
• Federalists and Republicans
held meetings called
caucuses
• Members of Congress and
other leaders chose their
parties’ candidates for office
• Federalists chose John
Adams for President and
Charles Pickney as VP
• Republicans chose Thomas
Jefferson for President and
Aaron Burr as VP
• The electoral college votes• Adams 71, Jefferson 68
• A Federalist president and a
Republican VP
President Adams Problems
• 1. The XYZ Affair
• 2. Alien and
Sedition Acts
• 3. Domestic and
Foreign Affairs
XYZ Affair
• The French started to seize
American ships that carried cargo
to the British
• Fall of 1797- Adams sent
delegates to Paris to try to
resolve the dispute
• The French foreign minister,
Charles de Talleyrand refused to
meet with the delegates
• Instead he sent three agents (X,Y,
and Z) who demanded a bribe
and a loan for France
• The Americans replied “not a
sixpence” and sent a report to
Adams
• Adams said he would rather pay
for a war and told Congress to
prepare for war
• This became known as the XYZ
Affair
Alien and Sedition Acts
• Public anger rose against France,
Americans became suspicious of
aliens
• Immigrants living in the country who
were not citizens
• Many Europeans who came to the US
in the 1790s supported ideals of the
French Revolution
• Some people questioned if aliens
would remain loyal if the US went to
war with France
• Federalists responded with strict laws
to protect the nation’s security
• The Alien and Sedition Acts
• Sedition- Activities aimed at
weakening the established government
• Alien Act allowed the president to
imprison aliens, or send those
considered dangerous out of the
country
Domestic and Foreign Affairs
• Republicans responded to the
Alien and Sedition Acts by standing
up against what they regarded as
Federalist tyranny
• Madison and Jefferson wrote
protests that called the Virginia
and Kentucky Resolutions
• Said that the A&S Acts violated the
Constitution
• So the A&S Acts could not be put
into action
• The Kentucky Resolution
suggested that states might nullify
federal laws considered
unconstitutional
Which of the following is true of the Virginia and
Kentucky Resolutions?
A. They were drafted by
Federalists opposing Republican
uses of federal power.
D. They rejected the principle
of state’s rights.
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D
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B
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D
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C. They distributed land to settlers
in Virginia and Kentucky.
A
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B.
C.
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B
B. They claimed that the Alien and
Sedition Acts violated the constitution.
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
• Supported the principle
of states’ rights
• This states that the
powers of the federal
government should be
limited to those clearly
assigned in the
Constitution
• States should have all
other powers not
expressly forbidden to
them
• The issue of states’ rights
would remain an
important issue
Adams’ Decision
• To help them
politically, Federalists
urged Adams to
declare war on France
• Adams didn’t, instead
appointed a new
commission to seek
peace with France
• 1800- France agreed
to a treaty
• This hurt Adams
chance of reelection
• Hamilton and his
supporters now
opposed the president
How did the Federalist and
Republican Parties form, and on what
issues did they disagree?
Federalists- Strong federal government, limit
ordinary people’s role in government
Republicans- Limit federal government, protect
individuals’ and states’ rights
Chapter 8 Section 3 Quiz
Which political party stood for a
strong federal government?
A. Federalist
B. Antifederalist
C. DemocraticRepublican
D. Democratic
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Which party feared that a strong central
government would endanger people's
liberties?
A. Federalist
25% 25% 25% 25%
B. Antifederalist
C. Republican
D. Democratic
The second president of the
United States was
A. Thomas
Jefferson.
B. Aaron Burr.
C. John Adams.
D. Charles Pinckney.
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Which of the following proposed a challenge
to the constitutional authority of the national
government?
A. political parties
25% 25% 25% 25%
B. peace with France
C. Sedition Act
D. Virginia and
Kentucky
Resolutions
What divided the Federalists and hurt
John Adams's chance for reelection?
states' rights
treaty with France
Neutrality Act
war with France
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Participant Scores
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Team Scores
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