Federalist Party vs. Democrat-Republicans

Issue Federalists Demorat-Republicans Notes

National vs. state Favored a strong Sought to limit the role • This issue, never governments central government of the national finally settled until with the power to government, favoring the Civil War, was control commerce, local control the basic tax, declare war, and philosophical point make treaties of contention between the two parties. French Revolution Opposed the Supported the popular • The debt of America Revolution and forces in the French to France for its opposed American Revolution and favored assistance during the support for the anti- American assistance American monarchy group Revolution is seen as due and unpaid by the D-Rs Jay Treaty Supported as an effort Opposed. More positive • Jay Treaty was seen to build better relations with France are by the D-Rs as an relations with Britain favored. attempt to dump cheap British imports in the American market. Alien & Sedition Acts Supported as Opposed, along with the • Criticized by necessary to prevent enlarged army, as a Jefferson and growth of D-Rs and to threat to citizen’s Madison in the limit criticism of individual liberties. Kentucky and Federalist officials Virginia Resolutions, where doctrine of nullification was first explained. Area of support New England South and West • Mid-Atlantic states moved from the Federalist to the D-R column, particularly after 1798. Hamilton’s economic Supported Opposed. Hamilton’s • The proposal to plans enthusiastically plans were seen as aiding establish the national his cronies, Northern bank became the states which had not yet point of greatest paid off their debts, and contention and as generally weakening provided the first the power of the states. open break between Jefferson and Hamilton.

*Based on The American Journey: A History of the United States by Goldfield, et al.