The Federalist Era 1796-1798

The supporters of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton were beginning to form the nation's first political parties, this sprouted from the political attacks on George Washington who supposedly supported Alexander Hamilton's ideas for the nation's policies.

Federalist John Adams became the president and Republican Thomas Jefferson became the vice president. The 1796 election was critical to American history, seeing as it was its first test of opposing factions running against each other and it established a precedent of non-violence.

Adams catered to high Federalists with the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, outlawing Jeffersonian newspapers and thereby undermining the First Amendment right to free speech within a decade of the Bill of Rights’ ratification.

The XYZ Affair was when John Adams sent 3 diplomats to France, whose names were replaced with X, Y, & Z. French officials demanded a bribe to initiate negotiations. This resulted in an anti-French sentiment from the American public

Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions were written by Dem-Reps in 1798 and argued states had a right to judge the constitutionality of federal laws. It retaliated against the A&S Acts using nullification, declaring the Acts ineffective in VA & KY.

Washington’s Farewell Address, a 32-page handwritten address where Washington urged Americans to avoid excessive political party spirit and geographical distinctions, and in foreign affairs warned against long-term alliances with other nations, and was prepared with Hamilton’s assistance, can be read as a classic text of partisan Federalism as well as a great state paper.

The Federalist Era 1796-1798