October 11, 2015
United States History to 1877
Exam 2 Essay Question Federalists and Republicans
Despite George Washington's warnings two distinct political parties had developed by the end of the 18th century. With the aid of French Revolution, Hamilton’s economic plan and the Jay Treaty the two rival parties began to show their faces. The two parties took on labels of the Federalist and the Republicans. As they began to grow you can see how they took shape from ideas, leadership, and principles.
The beliefs of the Federalists were centered around the government in the course of keeping order. They had supported the constitution and were secured by a commitment to an energetic federal government. Their beliefs reflected imitation of the British aristocracy without having a king, they also supported the British in foreign affairs and trade. The beliefs of the Republicans were more focused on the rights of the people and limiting federal …show more content…
The Federalists believed that the people would elect their officials into office and once in office the officials would then have the power in deciding what is best for the people, leaving the people with little say in matters. On the other hand republicans disagree with this design and favored the view of the common people, believing that common people were capable of governing themselves. This meant that once officials were elected they would turn to the people to hear their voice on different topics pertaining to political issues. You could see the split of political views by region and occupation, those who were in favor of the federalist were more apt to be those from the northern colonies, who held careers as bankers, merchants and manufacturers. Followers that supported the Republican view more likely to be from the Southern colonies , who made a living as small farmers, shopkeepers, and large plantation