The Compromise Between the Federalists and Republicans in the United States of America
During the time immediately following the Revolutionary War, the country began to split into factions, or different political parties, each with their own view of how the country and its government should be run. The chief groups of influence were the Federalists and the Anti- Federalists, or Republicans. To this day, the Republicans and the Federalists, who are now known as the Democrats, are still battling on how to handle the many social, political, and economic issues they face. However, the way many issues were handled when our government first formed is what helped shape the nation. The members of the Federalist party were mostly wealthy merchants and big property owners in the North. Geographically, they were concentrated in New England, with a strong element in the Middle Atlantic States.
They were conservatives who favored a strong centralized government, encouragement of industries, and attention to the needs of the great merchants and landowners. The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, believed that a centralized government would lead to tyranny and abuses of power. They felt more of the power should be in the states own hands. Anti-Federalists were concerned about repeating the mistakes of Europe, which they had so recently escaped. It was true that if all the power were placed in the hands of a central government, the country would no longer be democratic, as it had hoped. Furthermore, Federalists saw the nurturing of commerce as one of goverment's most important tasks. Hamilton felt we needed a national bank to regulate money and help our economy.
The Republicans believed that a national bank went against the rules established by the Constitution. Jefferson was a strong opposer of the proposal to set up a national bank. He, and his followers, claimed that the Constitution did not give Congress the authority to establish a national bank. Poverty and riots plagued the new nation following the costly Revolutionary War. The Federalists maintained that a strong government with power to levy taxes was necessary for the country's economic prosperity. Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, felt that the government had no right to tax the individual states and each state should pay back what they borrowed on their own.
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In foreign affairs, the Federalists were pro-British, while the Republicans were pro- French. Federalists such as Washington and Adams felt we should not take sides with the French but the Republicans said that they helped us during the American Revolution so we owed them our help during their Revolution. Federalists also wanted to limit the growth of factions in the nation hoping to stay in political control. In social matters, the biggest issue was the Alien and Sedition Acts. They limited unsupportive speech and made the citizenship process longer and deportation easier. This law was passed by congress in hopes of limiting the number of votes opposing the Federalist Party in future elections. Jefferson, the next Republican in office, repealed them.
Federalists wanted a strong central government and believed in a broad interpretation of the Constitution while Anti-Federalists believed the Constitution should be interpreted strictly, exactly as it was written. The debates between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists led to a compromise, which has remained until this very day. The compromise was the legislation of the Bill of Rights to safeguard the rights of the individual against tyranny and corrupt leadership.
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The Compromise Between the Federalists and Republicans in the United States of America. (2023, Apr 16). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/the-compromise-between-the-federalists-and-republicans-in-the-united-states-of-america/
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