Federalism in the 1780s was an influential political movement that
supported ratification of the Constitution.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Explain the reason why Federalists supported the Constitution
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
In 1787, 55 delegates met at a Constitutional convention inPhiladelphia and drafted the
Constitution, which replaced theArticles of Confederation and outlined a much stronger national
government. Federalists supported the Constitution and campaigned heavily in each state
for ratification.
The most forceful defense of the new Constitution was TheFederalist Papers, a compilation of 85
essays written byAlexander Hamilton, James Madison, and Jay published inNew York City to
convince the people of the state to vote for ratification.
With the passage of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, the first Federalist movement and the
Anti­Federalist movements eventually dispersed, although many of the original Federalists and
Anti­Federalists would play key roles in the formation of the Federalist and Democratic­
Republican Parties.
TERMS [ edit ]
federalist
The term Federalist usually applied to either statesmen and public figures who supported
ratification of the proposed Constitution of the United States between 1787 and 1789, or
statesmen and public figures that supported the administrations of Presidents George
Washington (1789–1797) and John Adams (1797–1801).
anti­federalist
Anti­Federalism refers to a movement that opposed the creation of a stronger U.S. federal
government and which later opposed the ratification of the Constitution of 1787.
ratification
Ratification is a formal declaration of agreement to a treaty or other document. After the
Constitution was drafted at the Philadelphia Convention, the states voted to ratify it.
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Early America: Federalism
Federalism in the 1780s was the most influential political movement arising out of
discontent with the Articles of Confederation, which limited the authority of
the federalgovernment. The Federalist movement was strengthened by the reaction to Shays'
Rebellion of 1786–1787, which was an armed uprising of yeoman farmers in western
Massachusetts. Shay's rebellion was fueled by a poor economy that was created, in part, by
the inability of the federal government to deal effectively with the debt from the American
Revolution. Moreover, the federal government had proven incapable of raising an army to
quell the rebellion, so Massachusetts had been forced to raise its own.
Federal Constitution or States' Rights
In 1787, 55 delegates met at a Constitutional convention in Philadelphia and drafted the
Constitution, which replaced the Articles of Confederation and outlined a much stronger
national government. Federalists supported the Constitution and campaigned heavily in each
state for ratification. However, for Anti­Federalists, the Constitution represented an
encroachment on the legislative autonomy of the states.
The most forceful defense of the new Constitution was The Federalist Papers, a compilation
of 85 anonymous essays published in New York City to convince the people of the state to
vote for ratification. These articles, written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison,
and John Jay, examined the benefits of the new, proposed Constitution and analyzed the
political theory and function behind the various articles of the Constitution. The Federalist
papers were written to support the ratification of the Constitution, specifically in New York.
Whether they succeeded in this mission is questionable, as by the time the series was well
underway, a number of states had already ratified the Constitution. Certainly the Federalist
papers were more important in New York than anywhere else, although the personal
influence of well­known Federalists (Hamilton and Jay) and Anti­Federalists (George
Clinton) played an important factor in the debates and eventual ratification of the
Constitution in New York as well.
After Ratification
Eventually, the Constitution was ratified by all the states. The outgoing Congress under the
Articles of Confederation scheduled elections for the new government and set March 4, 1789,
as the date that the new government would take power. In 1789, Congress submitted 12
articles of amendment, which provided protections of individual liberties, to the states. Ten
of these articles, written by Madison, were passed on December 15, 1791, and became the Bill
of Rights. With the passage of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the first Federalist
movement and the Anti­Federalist movements eventually dispersed, although many of the
original Federalists and Anti­Federalists would play key roles in the formation of the
Federalist and Democratic­Republican Parties.
The Federalists, a faction in agreement with the policies of Alexander Hamilton and his
allies, called for a stronger national government, a loose construction of the Constitution,
and a mercantile (rather than agricultural) economy. As time progressed, the factions which
adhered to these policies organized themselves into the nation's first political party, the
Federalist Party.
Federalist Party and Democratic­Republican Party
While the Federalist movement of the 1780s and the Federalist Party were distinct entities,
they were related in more than just a common name. For example, Democratic­Republican
Party, the opposition to the Federalist Party, echoed the concerns of Anti­Federalists that a
strong national government was a threat to individual liberties. They stressed that
the national debt created by the new government would bankrupt the country and that
federal bondholders were paid from taxes paid by honest farmers and workingmen.
These themes had resonated with the Anti­Federalists, the opposition to the Federalist
movement of the 1780s. As Norman Risjord has documented for Virginia, of the supporters
of the Constitution in 1788, 69% joined the Federalist party while nearly all (94%) of the
opponents joined the Democratic­Republicans. Seventy­one percent ofThomas Jefferson's
supporters in Virginia were former Anti­Federalists who continued to fear centralized
government while only 29% had been proponents of the Constitution a few years before. In
short, nearly all of the opponents of the Federalist movement became opponents of the
Federalist Party.
The Federalist movement reached its zenith with the election of John Adams. However, with
the defeat of Adams in the election of 1800 and the death of Hamilton in a duel withAaron
Burr, the Federalist Party began a long decline from which it never recovered.