A republic is when the citizens elect a small group of leaders to run the country. There were many presidents in office during the Federalist Era. Their actions in office, such as policies they supported, the conflicts they dealt with, and the way they impacted the nation were very contrast. The Federalist party was one of the first two political parties in the United States. The party was formed during George Washington’s presidency. The Federalists believed in a strong, powerful federal government. Although it remained a political force until the Whig and Democratic parties were formed, the party split during John Adams’ presidency. The party left an impact on the country by setting up national economy, judicial system, and foreign policy. Democratic Republicans disliked Great Britain and spoke for the Southern planters and farmers. Federalists favored Great Britain and supported the growth and expansion of trade and manufacturing, high tariffs and strong policies in favor of the wealthy urban classes. Two presidents who had different views/policies were James Madison and John Adams.
James Madison’s presidency was an impactful one on the United States and its future. He supported the Democratic-Republican Party and its views. He had hoped for a war to bring the annexation of Canada, Texas, and Florida to expand America. He asked for a declaration of war, passed a month later by both the Senate and House. This failed because of insufficient funds and governors of New England states’ failure to provide militia. A group of Democratic-Republicans called the Invincibles opposed the war in favor of the British.
When Madison first became president, the US was fairly small. About 85% of the population were living on farms and plantations. While voting was limited to white males, some, mainly in the South, were forbidden from voting. About half of the 8-million-person population was slaves. Indians were losing their land to American settlers. There were no railroads, making canals, roads, and bridges the best option. The US was trading goods such as cotton, corn, and fish with Europe the same way it was during colonial days. Farmers were poor, causing them to sell shares of their crops to merchants for necessities.
Although Madison favored the bank causing him to seem like a Federalist, he was, in truth, a strict constructionist in that he favored states’ rights and urged a strict interpretation of the US Constitution. He also vetoed a bill supported by very powerful senators John C. Calhoun and Henry Clay. This bill proposed that money left over from the Bank of the United States be used to build roads and canals. He believed that without an amendment to the Constitution, Congress did not have the jurisdiction to open a new area of authority. His veto was sustained after he left office.
Madison failed to lead the United States effectively. He failed to make a strong connection with Congress and made poor appointments in the cabinet. Despite his failure to lead and stabilize the nation, it was perceived that the War of 1812 was won. This caused inspiration for unity and national strength. The war nearly split the nation, but the main goal to establish its neutrality rights was accomplished. The last two years in office, he dedicated himself to improving the country’s infrastructure. In the late 1700’s he became a strong leader in the House of Representatives. He worked closely with president George Washington and later formed the Democratic-Republican party. He also drafted the first ten amendments to the constitution and for that he is also known as the “Father of the Bill of Rights”.
In response to the Federalists’ extreme use of federal power, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison secretly drafted a set of resolutions. In the Fall of 1978, these resolutions were introduced into the governments of Kentucky and Virginia. They argued that since the Constitution was created by a mixture of the states, the people, speaking through the state legislatures, had the right to judge the rightness of federal actions. Even though the resolution wasn’t accepted by any other states, it rallied Democratic-Republican opinion in America. They placed the Jeffersonian Republicans within the tradition of resistance to tyranny. They also raised thoughts on the issue of states’ rights and how conflict between the two authorities would be solved by war.
Another president of the Federalist era was John Adams. Although he was a moderate Federalist, he was torn between the views of the Republicans and Federalists on how to handle domestic issues. Adams was elected in 1796 at the first presidential debate between two opposing parties.
Adams was a very strong and powerful leader. He set a great example for a strong executive branch. While thinking very little of them, he rarely ever turned down the ill advice of his advisers. He refused to deal with the legislative branch of government. He refused to veto laws. Adams sought to govern based on the people. In his loss for reelection he influenced future administrations in favor of the party system. He set a great example for a peaceful way of dealing with foreign matters.
He watched experiments of the American government in the 1780’s from Europe. Because of this, he lost hope in the country politically. He saw corruption, social and political. He saw the mistakes caused by the pursuit of luxury. This caused him to write the volumes of A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America. It stated that a strong and independent executive was extremely necessary in mediating between two opposing parties.
He approved the ratification of the new Constitution but still believed that a president should be freed from the obligation to go through Senate before making treaties and appointments. He believed that in order to mediate between to opposing parties, the president needed an absolute veto over acts of the legislature.
Adams’ refusal to enter directly into political conflict undermined his effectiveness and was the reason he was not re-elected in 1800. His great level of stubborn and independence led even his own cabinet to oppose his policies.
Many would agree that his choice not to expand a war with France was correct. So soon after being torn apart by the War of Independence, he believed a war would be fatal.
The most important dispute during Adams’ presidency was that over the Alien and Sedition Acts. There were four parts to these acts. The Naturalization Act increased the residency requirement from five to fifteen years before being granted citizenship. The alien act gave the president the right to deport any alien he felt was dangerous. The Alien Enemies Act enabled the president to deport any alien from an enemy country or limit their freedoms in a time of war. The Sedition Act directly targeted Americans by forbidding opposition to laws of the federal government and making it illegal to publish criticism of the government. As tensions between the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans grew in the summer of 1978, Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts. Under the Sedition Act, several Democratic-Republican newspaper publishers were arrested, and ten were convicted for seditious libel before the acts expired in 1801. These acts brought to light the issues of free speech and the balance of governmental powers.