The Federalist Party
The Federalist party was created in 1786 for the sole purpose of ratifying the Constitution. Throughout 1786, 1787, and 1788, Federalists worked to convince their Anti-Federalist counterparts to accept the Constitution and ratify the document.
Commonly held beliefs
The Symbol of the Federalist Party
- Federalists believed in a strong central government, as they feared anarchy caused by wayward states.
- They were against the addition of a Bill of Rights, as they thought individual's rights were already protected in the Constitution due to the three branch system of government and the separation of powers.
- They believed that a Bill of rights would cause any right not explicitly mentioned to be ignored.
- The leading members of the Federalist party were James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay.
