Entry
Entries A-Z
Federalist
A proponent of both a strong union and adoption of the U.S. Constitution, as well as a member of the Federalist Party. The Federalists, who took their name from the Federalist Papers, were conservatives who encouraged the growth of industries and favored the needs of merchants and landowners. Federalists themselves were mostly wealthy merchants, large land owners in the North, and small farmers and businessmen. They were geographically concentrated in New England and the middle-Atlantic states.
In the 1790s, the Federalist Party was formed. It was led by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams. It dominated the U.S. government until 1801, when Thomas Jefferson took office as president. The Federalists believed that the national government was obligated to preserve the public peace against both internal and external ...