Since the birth of our nation, there have been regional differences in politics. One such region was New England, where the Federalist party had a stronghold during the turn of the 19th century. The Federalists called for a strong central government and promoted economic growth with friendly relationships with Great Britain. The Federalist party was formed sometime between 1792 and 1794 when a coalition of bankers and business men who supported Alexander Hamilton's fiscal policies. George Washington was broadly sympathetic with the Federalist party, but remained non-partisan throughout his presidency. John Adams was the first and only Federalist president. Because the Federalists were were opposed to revolutionary France, they took a strong stance against Washington's proclamation of neutrality.
There is often much confusion between the Federalist papers and the Federalist party. Most of our founding fathers were originally Federalists including Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. Because of concerns that the Articles of Confederation had proven too weak to sustain a lasting government, they pushed for a new government based upon a new Constitution. Hamilton, Madison, and John Jay wrote a series of articles which appeared in newspapers to persuade convention voters that the Confederation of the Articles was defective and proposed that a Constitution with three branches of government should replace it. Then, in 1789, there was break in Washington's cabinet over the assumption of state's debts from the revolutionary war. Alexander Hamilton proposed a central bank modeled after the Bank of England, that would issue Securities bond, to pay off the war debts. The American economy which in the past relied on agricultural exports to pay for importing British manufactured goods, would now use subsidies and tariffs to help make America's fledgling mercantilist economy prosper. This new policy drove a wedge between Washington's cabinet and they split into two factions. James Madison who was a Federalist but opposed the assumption of State's debts, joined Thomas Jefferson to form the Democratic-Republicans.
A decade later, as wars in Europe intensified, Great Britain and France fought for domination of trade on the seas. By 1807, with the help of the powerful Royal Navy, the British formed a blockade of continental Europe forbidding any trade with France or it's allies including neutral parties. In response, President Thomas Jefferson stood in strong favor of declaring a reciprocating embargo with both Great Britain and France in an attempt to force them to respect U.S. neutrality. The Federalists opposed any actions that would limit trade with Great Britain. Many Federalists in New England even hinted that if the embargo was not lifted, it would be the duty of the states to nullify such a damaging law. In 1809, with James Madison as president, Congress once again took up the debate whether or not trade should be neutral among the European powers. Madison encouraged trade with France as the only nation capable of capturing enough of the commerce with Great Britain to give the United States a chance of obtaining any recognition as a neutral trade partner. Upon Madison's suggestion that it was advantageous to develop an alliance with France, the Federalists accused him of being "very much Frenchified in his politics".
Then, when President Madison declared war in 1812, he called out the state militias. Encouraged by the opposition Federalist party, vehement protests erupted in the Northeast, especially Connecticut and Massachusetts (which included Maine at the time). In response, the governors of the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island refused to allow their state militias to be called out. They took a principled stand that the federal government was trampling on state and individual rights, and branded the war "Mr. Madison's war". On December 15, 1814 the Massachusetts legislature requested a conference with other New England states to draft a formal protest against the Federal Government's continued involvement in the War of 1812. The delegates were dominated by the Federalists and rumors abounded that the convention might go as far as calling for the New England states to secede from teh United States in order to force their demands. In the end, the Hartford convention resulted in a declaration of calling on the Federal government to provide protection and financial aid to New England's struggling trade economy. It also, pushed forward a recommendation for a few Constitutional amendments including one to prohibit embargoes of more than 60 days, the election of a president from the same state more than twice in succession, end of the three-fifths representation of slaves, and a two-thirds majority requirement for war to be declared. The convention agreed to deliver it's demand to Washington and adjourned on January 4th, 1815. This was just two months before the full U.S. Senate unanimously ratified the Treaty of Ghent, ending the war of 1812. America felt victorious, and now had a sense of being fully independent from Great Britain. Few historians call the war a victory for America, since the treaty did nothing to officially secure maritime rights for American merchants, and all borders and territories reverted to where they were before the war. But there is no denying, that it was a defeat for the Federalist party. By time the ambassadors of the Hartford Convention reached Washington, the war was over and America was celebrating a stunning victory by Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans. The ambassadors, hastened back to Massachusetts, but it was too late they had done fatal damage to the Federalist party. In 1816, the Federalist fielded their last presidential Candidate in Rufus King who lost to James Monroe. The war was over, and so was the partisan bickering. The Federalist party who had twice as many newspapers at their command for years, was to be no longer, though they would remain a formidable opposition for a few more years. The nation had entered the "Era of Good Feelings". James Monroe, in his opening paragraph of his first State of the Union, now seems to be referring to the friends of the Federalist party as "Local jealousies" that were "rapidly yielding to more generous, enlarged, and enlightened views of national policy"
More than at any other, James Monroe's opening paragraph described America's future as hopeful and bright.
"At no period of our political existence had we so much cause to felicitate ourselves at the prosperous and happy condition of our country. The abundant fruits of the earth have filled it with plenty. An extensive and profitable commerce has greatly augmented our revenue. The public credit has attained an extraordinary elevation. Our preparations for defense in case of future wars, from which, by the experience of all nations, we ought not to expect to be exempted, are advancing under a well-digested system with all the dispatch which so important a work will admit. Our free Government, founded on the interest and affections of the people, has gained and is daily gaining strength. Local jealousies are rapidly yielding to more generous, enlarged, and enlightened views of national policy. For advantages so numerous and highly important it is our duty to unite in grateful acknowledgements to that Omnipotent Being from whom they are derived, and in unceasing prayer that He will endow us with virtue and strength to maintain and hand them down in their utmost purity to our latest posterity."
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29459
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalist_Party
https://connecticuthistory.org/the-hartford-convention-today-in-history/
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