Essay On The Federalist Party

Though the two-party system of American politics has been in place since the late 18th century, exactly which two parties are contending for control of the government has occasionally shifted. One of the powerful political entities that formed at the beginning of this period, the Federalist Party, built up a large, well-known presence in the early republic, advocating for centralized government and banking, and a positive relationship with the British as the way forward for the burgeoning United States government during the period surrounding the turn of the 19th century. This affinity for the United States-Britain relationship and the accompanying overseas trade practiced by the United States would eventually spell doom for the future of

They feared war with Great Britain for several reasons, particularly the havoc that interrupting trade with Britain would bring down upon the young industrialization process of the North,10 the region in which Federalist support was most concentrated. Additionally, the Federalists saw the danger of entering into a continental war in Europe, one who’s outcome was still undecided; Napoleon was still in the process of conquering mainland Europe and would not be defeated for several more years. For Federalists, the conflict over US trade with France (largely supported by the American South,11 far away from the northeastern power center of the Federalists) and impressment of US soldiers was not a problem to be solved by war. In fact, in many cases, Federalists charged the French military and government with committing the same trespasses as the British upon the sovereignty of the United States.12 When Napoleon decided to loosen his own trade restrictions and ship-seizing policies, the Federalists did not see it as an honest and conciliatory decision by the French. Rather, the Federalists believed that the French were, at best, attempting to influence public opinion against the British, and possibly might be attempting to lure the United States merchant ships into a trap.13 Issues of patriotism did not play a key role for the Federalists and their supporters, who saw the potential for war in Europe as a political and economic decision, not a patriotic one. There was no need to insert the United States into a war that it had no obvious stake in. Instead, the Federalists wanted to maintain ties and cooperation with Great Britain; for them the cost to trade was simply unbearable and could not be allowed when there was potential for diplomatic redress of American concerns that would