Title: Major American Political Parties of the 19th Century | Norwich University Online
Headings: Major American Political Parties of the 19th Century
Major American Political Parties of the 19th Century
The Federalist Party
The Democratic-Republican Party
The Whig Party
The Anti-Masonic Party
The Liberty Party
The Republican Party
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Content: The Federalist Party
Widely considered to be the first American political party, the Federalist Party was founded by Alexander Hamilton and gave rise to the first president to be elected under partisan conditions, John Adams. Other notable Federalists include James Madison and George Washington, although the latter ran for president without strict affiliation. The party was known for backing a strong centralized federal government which limited the power of state governments. Federalists favored the development of manufacturing and industry over agriculture, which won them as many supporters in the American Northeast as it did detractors in the agriculturally-reliant South. Despite the United States having won its independence from British rule, the Federalists pushed to re-establish strong diplomatic and economic relations with Great Britain, whose monarchical system of government was more in keeping with the positions of the Federalists. Regardless of its reputation as an elitist, vaguely anti-democratic entity, the Federalist Party can be credited with major developments in the American legal and judicial systems, as well as U.S. fiscal and foreign policy. In 1787, the Federalists played a major role in crafting the new U.S. Constitution as part of the Philadelphia Convention. The Federalists were known for their opposition to the inclusion of the Bill of Rights, as they argued that the Constitution applied only to the government and not states or people. Thus, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay penned the Federalist Papers, which defended the party’s push for a stronger national government that would unite all of the states. The Federalists eventually conceded to including the Bill of Rights in the Constitution.