Shea 1

Rebecca Shea
English III
Ms. Dinnen
23 October 2013
Political Feud
In Washingtons Farewell Address he warned against forming political parties. He
considered it unwise. Many other Founding Fathers viewed political parties as a danger to the
unity of the nation. Consequently, political parties are not included in the Constitution. However,
political parties did develop. The Federalist and Democratic-Republican political parties formed
because Hamilton and Jefferson, both important figures in United States history, had very
different philosophies.
Hamilton was a vital political figure in the early years of America. He created a fiscal
plan for the United States. He proposed assumption, a plan where the federal government would
assume all thirteen states debts. Through assuming state debts, the federal government was
taking authority of the states economies, making states more reliant on the government (Ellis
58). Unlike Jefferson, Hamilton believed, a national debt is a national blessing (57). Hamilton
followed a loose construction of the Constitution. He believed that any power not allotted to the
states in the Constitution was given to the government, which follows the necessary and proper
clause of the Constitution. This can be referred to as the elastic clause because the clause is often
stretched by the government to give the national government more power. Hamilton presented a
National Bank of the United States. He argued that a national bank was constitutional under the
necessary and proper clause. With these ideas and proposals, Hamilton headed the Federalist
party.

Shea 2

Led by Hamiltons financial policies, the Federalist party supported a strong central
government with weak states. This party stemmed from the Federalist faction, a group that
believed in a big government. Like Hamilton, they believed in a loose construction of the
constitution. They adamantly believed that the young United States needed a strong central
government with weak states in order for the nation to function properly. The Federalist party
was better educated and more organized than the Democratic-Republican party. They believed in
a rule by the best people (Kennedy 219). The Federalists represented the wealthier class, not
the common man. They were primarily located along the Atlantic coast and in large cities. They
controlled many large ports, giving the Federalist party clout. Because the Federalists controlled
the press, they had power and influence behind them.
Jefferson strongly disagreed with Hamiltons policies. They held contrasting opinions
about the role of the federal government. While Hamilton believed in a dominant central
government, Jefferson promoted powerful states united by a weak government. He followed a
strict Constitution, granting the excess power to the states. Frequently, Jefferson referred to the
tenth amendment to support his beliefs, All powers not delegated to the federal government
belong to the states or to the people (Newman 73). These beliefs led to Jeffersons opposition to
the Bank of the United States, which he deemed unconstitutional. Jefferson headed the
Democratic-Republican party with these principles.
The Democratic-Republican party supported Jefferson, thus opposing a strong federal
government. They developed from the Antifederalist faction, a group that believed in a small
government. Democratic-Republicans represented the common people. The majority of
Democratic-Republicans were independent farmers, merchants, manufacturers, or immigrants.
Jackson, Madison, Henry, Lee, and Samuel Adams were among many influential Democratic-

Shea 3

Republicans, all opposing a strong federal government. (Newman) Instead, they wanted a small
government with little federal spending. Like Jefferson, the Democratic-Republican party
followed a strict constitution in which the states have more power. The Democratic-Republicans
believed that national power was dangerous, possibly leading to excessive tax, a large army, or
an infringement on their personal rights. The Democratic-Republican partys influence was
greatest in the South, where the majority of the party lived.
The Federalists and Democratic-Republicans were constantly in opposition. In 1798 the
Federalist Congress passed the Sedition Act, which prohibited defaming government officials or
interfering with government policies. This act was targeted at Democratic-Republicans. All ten
people brought to trial for the Sedition Act were Democratic-Republicans accused by Federalists.
In 1787, the ratification of the United States Constitution was primarily controlled by Federalists
because Federalists had hegemony in the Constitutional Convention. Holding firm to their beliefs
of a weak central government, the Democratic-Republicans refused to ratify the Constitution
until they were promised amendments that guaranteed the peoples individual rights. They
believed the government should have more power than what was given to them in the Articles of
Confederation, but not as much as they were given in the Constitution. As a solution to this
predicament, James Madison wrote the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the
Constitution, granting the citizens of the United States with personal rights. (Kennedy) With the
assurance of their personal rights, the Democratic-Republicans approved the Constitution.
The original beliefs in a big government or a small government grew into the political
parties of Federalists and Democratic-Republicans through the conflicting beliefs of Hamilton
and Jefferson. These were the dominating parties of the United States until the eighteenth
century. After 1800, the Federalists began to lose power and by 1871 the Federalist party was

Shea 4

gone. It first developed into the Whig Party, then it eventually grew into the Republican party,
which is still around today. The Democratic-Republican party gradually developed into the
Democrat party. Presently, most citizens of the United States are connected with a political party,
whether from the two main parties of today, Republican or Democratic, or from the green,
libertarian, or an independent party. Similar to Hamilton and Jefferson, citizens associate with
the party that most closely aligns with their beliefs.

Works Cited
Ellis, Joseph J. Founding Brothers. New York: Vintage Books, 2000. Print.
Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas A. Bailey. The American Pageant: A
History
2010. Print.

of the American People. 14th ed. Australia: Wadsworth Cengage Learning,

Shea 5

Newman, John J., and John M. Schmalbach. United States History: Preparing for the
Advanced

Placement Examination. 2nd ed. New York: Amsco School, 2010.

Print.

Bibliography
Banning, Lance G. "Republicans, Jeffersonian." Dictionary of American History. Ed.
Stanley I.

Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 7. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 117-118. U.S.

History In

Context. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.

Ellis, Joseph J. Founding Brothers. New York: Vintage Books, 2000. Print.
Estes, Todd. "Federalist Party." Encyclopedia of the New American Nation. Ed. Paul
Finkelman.

Vol. 2. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. 12-15. U.S. History In

Context. Web. 13

Oct. 2013.

"Federalist Party." UXL Encyclopedia of U.S. History. Sonia Benson, Daniel E. Brannen,
Jr., and

Rebecca Valentine. Vol. 3. Detroit: UXL, 2009. 545-547. U.S. History In

Context. Web.

13 Oct. 2013.

Hall, Van Beck. "Democratic Republicans." Encyclopedia of the New American

Nation. Ed. Paul
History In

Finkelman. Vol. 1. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. 372-375. U.S.

Context. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.

Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas A. Bailey. The American Pageant: A
History
2010. Print.

of the American People. 14th ed. Australia: Wadsworth Cengage Learning,

Shea 6

Newman, John J., and John M. Schmalbach. United States History: Preparing for the
Advanced

Placement Examination. 2nd ed. New York: Amsco School, 2010.

Print.
Robertson, Andrew W. "Federalist Party." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I.
Kutler.
In

3rd ed. Vol. 3. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 350-352. U.S. History
Context. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.

Siemers, David J. "Anti-Federalists." Encyclopedia of the New American Nation. Ed.

Paul

Finkelman. Vol. 1. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. 134-138. U.S. History In
Context. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.