Federalists and Anti-Federalists Americas First Political Parties

Federalists and Anti-Federalists

America’s First Political Parties

Who Were the Leaders of the Federalists?

• Federalist Leaders- Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay

Who Were the Leaders of the Anti-Federalists?

• Anti-Federalist Leaders- Patrick Henry, George Mason, Thomas Jefferson

Balance of Power in Government• Federalists – wanted a strong, centralized,

national government. (federal government)

• Anti-Federalists- wanted strong state governments with a limited, weak national government.

Federalists = Strong National Government

Anti-Federalists = Weak National Government / Strong State Governments

State Government

Federal Government

Discussion Questions

• 1. Why would Federalists want a strong national government?

• 2. Why would Anti-Federalists want strong state governments and a weak national government?

Discussion Question Answers

• 1. Federalists believed a strong national government could properly protect and defend its citizens from domestic unrest and foreign invasion.

• 2. Anti-Federalists believed strong state governments and a weak federal government would provide the best protection of individual liberties

Who did the Federalists and Antifederalists Represent?

• Federalists were representing the rich merchants and land owners (the elite).

• Antifederalists were representing the small farmers, laborers (the middle and poor class).

A Functioning Republic • Federalists- believed that a republic could work in a

country as geographically large and heavily populated as the United States.

• Anti-Federalists- believed that a republic could not work properly in a country as large as the United States because there was no historical precedent for it. (It had never been done before)

Just under 4 million people in U.S. in 1790

Representation in Congress• Federalists wanted a proportional

representation of the states in Congress. Population and the subsequent wealth of the states should determine representation.

• Anti-Federalists wanted equal representation for each state in Congress.

Discussion Questions• 1. Which plan from the Great Compromise

corresponds to the beliefs of the Federalists?

• 2. Which other plan from the Great Compromise corresponds to the beliefs of the Anti-Federalists?

Discussion Question Answers• 1. Federalists favored the Virginia Plan

• 2. Anti-Federalists favored the New Jersey Plan

The Executive (President)• Federalists wanted a strong executive

(president)

• Anti-Federalists wanted a weak executive, more or less just an “employee” of the legislature

Election Process• Federalists wanted the indirect election of

officials.

• Anti-Federalists wanted the direct election of officials.

Discussion Question

• 1. What form of election is the Electoral College? Why is labeled that way?

Discussion Question Answer

• The Electoral College system is an indirect form of election. It is indirect because people choose electors and those electors choose the president, not the people directly.

Ratification of the U.S. Constitution • Federalist favored ratification of the U.S.

Constitution

• Anti-Federalists opposed ratification of the Constitution (especially without a Bill of Rights)

To Ratify or not…that is the question.The Federalists (Rich land owners, merchants)• James Madison

– Father of the Constitution

• Alexander Hamilton– Co-authored the Federalist Papers.

• John Jay– Leader of the Federalists. Co-authored the Federalist Papers.

The Anti-Federalists(Small farmers, laborers)• Patrick Henry

– “I smell a rat.”

• Thomas Jefferson– “..the blood ofPatriots and tyrants..”

• George Mason– The father of theBill of Rights