THE EARLY REPUBLIC
American Studies
Mr. Crickenberger and Mr. Ratcliffe
DEVELOPMENT OF POLITICAL PARTIES
• Washington was “above” politics, but
still considered himself a Federalist
• Federalist party led by John Adams
and Alexander Hamilton
• Characteristics
• Pro industrial development
• Pro British
• Pro strong federal government
• Supported by bankers and
business interests in the North
Prominent Federalists
DEVELOPMENT OF POLITICAL PARTIES
• Democratic-Republicans led by
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison
• Characteristics
• Pro agriculture
• Pro revolutionary France
• Pro “common” man
• Pro States rights (vs. strong
central government)
• Supported by farmers, artisans,
and frontiersmen in the South
JOHN ADAMS – FOREIGN POLICY
• Continued neutrality that Washington had imposed
• Adams wanted to stay out of war between Britain and
France, despite many Americans supporting one of the
two countries
• However, many of his actions, such as the Alien and
Sedition Acts, made Adams appear to show favoritism
towards the British
ELECTION OF 1800
• Between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson
• Extremely confrontational campaigns by the candidates
– Adams and Jefferson’s friendship will suffer for several
years after
• In the end, Jefferson and the Democratic Republicans
win the election
• This is the first American presidential election in which
power was peacefully transferred from one party to
another.
IMPORTANT EARLY SUPREME COURT CASES
• Chief Justice John Marshall presided over both cases
• Marbury v. Madison established “judicial review”, which
established the power of the Supreme Court to declare
laws unconstitutional
• The McCulloch v. Maryland ruling prohibited states from
taxing agencies of the federal government
• How else could we say this?
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