Period 3 Revolutionary Era 1754-1800
The Federalist Era
The Federalist Era
In American History the "Federalist Era" lasted roughly from 1789-1801, during which the
Federalist Party dominated American politics. The Federalist Era is associated with two
Presidents-George Washington (1789 & 1792) and John Adams (1796). Generally, the Federalist
Party supported a national bank, a strong central government and
economic tariffs. They believed that the US should favor Great Britain
rather than France.
George Washington’s popularity was universal due to his military and
political service to the creation of the republic.
When France and Great Britain went to war in 1793, Washington issued
his Proclamation of Neutrality (1793). Washington's argued that the
United Sates should attempt to stay out of European conflicts.
The nation in 1793 was militarily weak, economically wobbly, and politically disunited. . .
Washington wisely reasoned that if America could avoid the broils of Europe for a generation or so,
it would be populous enough and powerful enough to assert its maritime rights. . .
From The American Pageant 12th Ed. Textbook pg. 199
Washington sought to address American/British political differences and improve trade when he
sent John Jay to negotiate with England. Jay’s Treaty (1795) was very unpopular with the
Jeffersonians, who favored the French, and failed to stop the impressment of US sailors.
The British did promise to evacuate the chain of posts on U.S. soil. . . Britain consented to pay
damages for recent seizures of American ships. But the British stopped short of pledging anything
about future maritime seizures and impressments or about supplying arms to Indians
From The American Pageant 12th Ed. Textbook pg. 201
Washington made his Farewell Address in 1796.
In early 1796, President George Washington decided not to seek reelection for a third term and
began drafting this farewell address to the American people. The address went through numerous
drafts, in large part due to suggestions made by Alexander Hamilton.
In the 32-page handwritten address, Washington urged Americans to avoid excessive political party
spirit and geographical distinctions. In foreign affairs, he warned against long-term alliances with
other nations.
The address was printed in Philadelphia’s American Daily Advertiser on September 19, 1796.
Washington’s final manuscript is at The New York Public Library.
From http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=15
John Adams had served as a delegate to the Second
Constitutional Convention, traveled to Europe as an
ambassador and was Washington’s vice-president.
John Adams, with most of his support in New England,
squeezed through by the narrow margin of 71 votes to
68 in the Electoral College. Jefferson, as runner-up,
became vice president.
From The American Pageant 12th Ed. Textbook pg. 202
Following the X,Y,Z Affair, (1797-1798) where the US refused to pay bribes to government
officials, Adams engaged in a Quasi-War with France.
The French demanded that the United States provide France with a low-interest loan,
assume and pay American merchant claims against the French, and lastly pay a substantial
bribe to Talleyrand. The U.S. envoys were shocked, and also skeptical that any concessions
would bring about substantial changes in French policy.
From https://history.state.gov/milestones/1784-1800/xyz
The Alien and Sedition Acts, 1798 were a series of laws that the Federalist Party passed that
sought to limit political opposition from Jefferson’s Democrat-Republican Party.
The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, 1798 attempted to nullify (end) the Alien and Sedition
Acts.
These resolutions were passed by the legislatures of Kentucky and Virginia in response to
the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 and were authored by Thomas Jefferson and James
Madison, respectively. The resolutions argued that the federal government had no
authority to exercise power not specifically delegated to it in the Constitution.
The Virginia Resolution, authored by Madison, said that by enacting the Alien and
Sedition Acts, Congress was exercising “a power not delegated by the Constitution, but on
the contrary, expressly and positively forbidden by one of the amendments . . . ”
The Kentucky Resolutions, authored by Jefferson, went further than Madison’s Virginia
Resolution and asserted that states had the power to nullify unconstitutional federal laws.
From http://billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/primary-sourcedocuments/virginia-and-kentucky-resolutions/
Alexander Hamilton served as Washington’s Secretary of the Treasury and
directed the financial plan for the United States. Hamilton was a strong
federalist and supporter of the First Bank of the United States. Earlier,
Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay authored the Federalist Papers in
support of the US Constitution.
Though he never attained the highest office of his adopted country, few of America’s
founders influenced its political system more than Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804). Born
in the British West Indies, he arrived in the colonies as a teenager, and quickly embarked
on a remarkable career. He was a member of the Continental Congress, an author of the
Federalist Papers, a champion of the Constitution and the first secretary of the Treasury,
where he helped found the first national bank, the U.S. Mint and a tax collection bureau
that would later become the U.S. Coast Guard.
From http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/alexander-hamilton
As the capstone for his financial system, Hamilton proposed a Bank of the United States. .
. Specifically, he proposed a powerful private institution, of which the government would
be the major stockholder and in which the federal Treasury would deposit its surplus
monies. . . The bank would also print urgently needed paper money and thus provide a
sound and stable national currency.
From The American Pageant 12th Ed. Textbook pg. 195
John Marshall served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 18011835. A federalist, Marshall argued for the supremacy of federal law over
state laws and the power of the Supreme Court to review constitutional
issues.
Marshall accepted the appointment on 2 February 1801 and served as chief justice for
thirty-four years. Marshall heard cases and offered groundbreaking opinions that continue
to guide the Supreme Court and the United States government today. The Marshall court
established the principle of judicial review, in which the court ruled that the Supreme
Court had the power to declare invalid any act of Congress that was in conflict with the
U.S. Constitution. The Marshall court also ruled that state judiciaries could set aside state
legislative acts if they conflicted with the federal Constitution and that the U.S. Supreme
Court could reverse a decision of a state court. By his opinions, Marshall increased the
power of the Supreme Court as a branch of the federal government, emphasized the role
of the judiciary in the states, and reinforced the national supremacy of the federal government.
From http://www.lva.virginia.gov/exhibits/marshall/