Conflict Between Federalists and the Democratic Republicans

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Alien and Sedition acts were created, the Democratic Republicans opposed them and were criticized by Jefferson and Madison in the Kentucky Virginia Resolutions. When news broke out of Hamilton’s plans of a national bank, the Democratic Republicans opposed and the plans were seen as only benefitting the Northern states and generally weakening power across the nation. Hamilton’s ideas were sure to be opposed by the Democratic Republicans since they gained the support of the South and the West.

Although both of these political parties played different roles in early America, they both managed to benefit and damage the nation in a particular way. The Federalists were able to benefit the nation during this time by creating a national judicial system, formulating principles of foreign policy, and laying the foundation of a national economy. The Federalist party was able to benefit America in many ways but it also hurt the young nation. The main leaders hated democracy, they wanted to minimize who had the right to vote(excluding women and black people), they hated open elections, and favored the alien and sedition acts. On the other hand, the democratic republicans had their different ways of benefitting early America but most importantly, they were the first party to oppose the federalists. This gave the people more of an option and a choice in the way that they were governed. Even though they gave the people more of a choice, they still damaged the nation by going against Jay’s Treaty. Jay’s Treaty was able to grant the U.S. trading privileges and when the Democratic Republican party opposed that, it caused more altercations and conflicts. The conflict of the Federalists vs the Democratic Republicans is quite similar to the pilgrims vs the puritans. It is similar because they were two groups of people who believed in the same thing, but wanted it interpreted differently. The Federalists and the Democratic Republicans both wanted independence for the U.S. but they wanted it done in different ways. The Puritans and the Pilgrims both strived for religious freedom, but again wanted it to be done in a different manor.

Throughout the years of 1789 to 1801 many conflicts and controversies were created due to the differences between the two major political parties of early America. It is evident that the Federalists and the Democratic Republican parties shared many opposing opinions on the same topic or issue. Their ideologies often contrasted one another and tended to be the opposite of each others concerns. Even though these parties may have disagreed, they both helped in the shaping of modern day America.