FEDERALISTS. In American history, the name given to those who in 1787 and 1788 advo cated the adoption of the new Constitution of the United States, and who later contended, for the most part, for a liberal construction of the Constitution and the establishment of a strong National Government. In the end Washington undoubtedly favored their views; but Ili iton, with his plans for a national bank, a sinking fund, the assumption of State debts, and the en couragement of manufactures, was the real lead er of the Federalists, while Jay, John Adams, Gouverneur Norris, Ames, and later Marshall were prominent members of the party. The Fed eralists were conservative in their belief in popu lar government, and had little sympathy with the French Revolution, being upon these two, as upon other points, opposed by the strict con structionists under the leadership of Jefferson and Madison, known as the Republicans, or Demo cratic Republicans. (See DEMOCRATIC PARTY.) The Federalists controlled the first three ad ministrations—those of Washington and of John Adams—but the party was disrupted by factional controversies during Adams's Administration, and was overthrown by the Republican victory of 1800, which placed Jefferson in the Presi dential chair. Their candidates for President from 1804 to 1816 received scarcely any support outside of New England. and in 1820 no Feder
alist nomination was made. During these years the party was kept alive in New England by those who had opposed Adams's Administra tion, and who formed the most aristocratic and pro-English faction. (See ESSEX JUNTO.) Their opposition to the Embargo and kindred measures, and to the War of 1812, culminated in the Hart ford Convention (q.v.) in 1814. The convention was immeasurably denounced, and was fatal to the little life still left in the Federalist Party. One of the last appointments of President Adams was that of John Marshall as Chief Jus tice of the Supreme Court. and during his tenure of that office Marshall succeeded in stamping in delibly upon the Constitution the hest portions of the Federalist doctrine. Moreover, the Demo• crats in power gradually became scarcely less liberal in their interpretation of the Constitution than the Federalists had been before them; and while in 1798 the Federalists denounced the Vir ginia and Kentucky Resolutions (q.v.) passed by the Democrats in favor of State's rights, in 1814 the Federalists were vigorously opposed to any extension of the authority of the central Govern ment, while the Democrats were wholly com mitted in this respect to the former Federalist policy.