What Are the Differences Between Federalists and Dem-Republicans?
The Federalist Party was one of the first political parties to form in the United States of America. The party was founded in 1789 by Alexander Hamilton.
The Federalist Party was one of the first political parties to form in the United States of America. The party was founded in 1789 by Alexander Hamilton. The formation created by Hamilton took the name Federalists. At the heart of the party’s programme was the creation of a strong central government to promote the development of trade and industry. The only President of the United States who was a member of the Federalist Party was John Adams, who won the election of 1796. The Federalists governed until 1801. They suffered a serious setback when their leader, Hamilton, was killed in a duel by then Vice-President Aaron Burr in 1804. The last Federalist presidential candidate was elected in 1816. By the early 1820s, the Federalists had disappeared from the US political scene and merged with the National Republican Party, the forerunner of the Whig Party, founded in 1833.
The Federalist Party
The Federalists represented big-city businessmen and merchants who favoured a strong national government. The party was closely associated with the modernisation, urbanisation and financial policies of Alexander Hamilton. These policies included the financing of the national debt and the assumption of debts incurred by the states during the Revolutionary War, the creation of a National Bank of the United States, the promotion of manufacturing and industrial development, and the use of a tax to finance the Treasury. In foreign policy, the Federalists opposed the French Revolution, fought a ‘secret naval war’ with France in 1798-1799, tried to maintain good relations with Great Britain, and maintained a strong army and navy.
The Democratic-Republican Party
The Democratic-Republican Party was founded in 1792 by Jefferson and Madison in opposition to the economic and foreign policies of the Federalist Party. Jefferson opposed the 1794 Treaty of London (and thus the war with France) and favored good relations with France before 1801. His party denounced many of Hamilton’s proposals as unconstitutional and, between 1796 and 1812, opposed many Federalist policies such as high tariffs, the creation of a national navy, military spending and the establishment of a national bank.
After the defeat in the War of 1812, however, many of these ideas were abandoned and some important members of the party, such as Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams and John C. Calhoun, became advocates of building a strong national defense. The Democratic-Republicans represented the interests of middle-class landowners (yeomen) rather than bankers, industrialists and merchants. The party was divided into a number of factions. The Loyal Jeffersonians or ‘Old Republicans’, also known as tertium quid, formed the wing led by Jefferson, John Randolph, William H. Crawford and Nathaniel Macon, were in favor of low tariffs, asserted the rights of individual states over the federal government, demanded a strict and literal interpretation of the Constitution and a reduction in government spending. They were opposed to a professional and career army. In contrast, the National Republicans, led by Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams and John C. Calhoun, favored higher tariffs, a stronger national defense and ‘internal improvements’ (public works projects). After the dissolution of the Federalist Party in 1815, many former Federalists joined the nationalist stream of the Democratic-Republicans.
The party invented some of the organizational techniques of modern election campaigns, which were later adopted by the Federalists. For example, it was particularly effective in building a network of newspapers in large cities to disseminate its statements and communication policies.
Conclusion
There were many differences between the two political forces. The Federalists favored a strong and centralized federal government, while the Dem-Republicans tended to reserve more power for the individual states, fearing that a central government could interfere too much with individual liberties and states’ rights. Economically, the Federalists favored a strong national financial system and policies favorable to the industrial class, while the Dem-Republicans were closer to small and medium-sized enterprises and farmers, favored policies of low tariffs and encouraged westward expansion. Also significant, as we have seen, were the divisions over foreign policy: at a time when the United States could not ignore relations with France and Great Britain, still very much present with their territories on the continent, the Federalists were particularly opposed to the French and sought to maintain closer relations with the former British motherland, while the Dem-Republicans were more inclined towards France, sharing many of the ideals that had inspired the French Revolution.
In addition to these differences, Federalists and Democratic-Republicans also differed in socio-economic background and geography. The Federalists tended to be wealthier, better educated and concentrated in the cities, while the Democratic-Republicans tended to be more rural and popular. These differences in ideology and power base created tensions and heated debates between the two parties, shaping the American political landscape in the early decades of the nation.