Jeffersonians vs Federalists free essay sample

Throughout the 1800s, Jeffersonian Republicans thought that the federal government’s power was confined to the grants of the Constitution. On the other hand, the Federalists believed in the broad construction that gave the government any power that was not forbidden by the constitution. Despite the fact that the Jeffersonian Republicans believe in a strict interpretation of the Constitution, and Federalists believe in a loose interpretation, these beliefs were misrepresented according to the party’s views on the authority of the government during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison. During this time, the Jeffersonian Republicans beliefs were inverted with the beliefs of the Federalists. The Jeffersonian Republicans leaned toward a loose interpretation and the Federalists leaned toward a strict one. The ideal society of Jefferson and his followers varied greatly to the federalists’ ideal society. The Jeffersonian Republicans wanted their society to have a central government that barely controlled the lives of the independent farmers. They preferred to have a strong state government. The sole purpose of the government was to protect one’s liberties that the Constitution granted. Jefferson expresses his ideal society in Document B when he talks with the Presbyterian minster, Samuel Miller. It shows that the civil powers are the presidents alone and no other authority even God can direct the religious exercises of his people. Jefferson’s idea turned out to be a fantasy because the nation was becoming more industrial and urban which needed more control then he once envisioned. Jefferson alike Washington was not in favor of war. In fact, he created the Embargo Act of 1808 in effort to prevent war. The Embargo Act did not allow ships to leave the port for any foreign destination, which would prevent them from provoking fights with hostile ships. This led to a period of economic depression. Document C displays a cartoon, â€Å"OGRABME, or The American Snapping-turtle. †, created by Alexander Anderson that is against the Embargo Act of 1808. The hatred of the act caused the third suggested amendment at the Harvard Convention on January 4, 1815. It stated, â€Å" Congress shall not have the power to lay any embargo on the ships or vessels of the citizens of the United States,†¦for more than sixty days. † (Document E) Madison left Washington when he began to follow Hamilton’s idea of a strong central government that supported commercial interests instead of state interests. This caused him to join Jefferson in making an opposing party of the Democratic-Republicans. Madison was the leader in the Republican’s fight against the Alien and Sedition Acts. The fight tried to suppress the Republican’s hostility to Federalist foreign policy concerning France. In addition Madison declared laws unconstitutional by creating the Virginia Resolutions. Madison supported the Louisiana Purchase as well as the Embargo against Britain and France while he served as secretary of state. Madison’s message to Congress is shown in Document H. As Document H shows, he thought â€Å"that prominent success of the Constitution depends on a definite partition of powers between the general and the state governments. Madison was able to dominate foreign policy during Jeffersons administration, eventually succeeding Jefferson and becoming the fourth president of the United States. John Adams administration interpreted the Constitution differently in the Alien and Sedation Acts. These acts were considered to be unconstitutional according to Republican leaders, but there was no known process for determining whether federal laws were constitutional. Both Jefferson and Madison agreed on the fact that the state legislature should have the power. This decision led them to come up with a series of resolutions. These resolutions were introduced to Kentucky and Virginia. The states would be able to nullify because of John Lock’s compact theory. The major conflict between the Federalists and the Republicans was the court case of Marbury vs. Madison. Marbury sued Madison in order to force him to deliver his commission as a justice of peace in the federal district. The Supreme Court, John Marshall, refused to judge because he said that it was unconstitutional due to the fact that the Supreme Court jurisdiction over such matters had exceeded the Constitutional grant of powers. Marshall set up judicial review over federal legislation. Judicial review has become the foundation of the Supreme Court’s check on the other two branches of government. In addition to conflict with the federalists, the Republicans also had conflict with the people. The people were extremely angered by Madison’s conscription bill of 1814. Document D shows the reasons why the people are angered including the fact that they can ,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦take children from their parents, and parents from their children†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Daniel Webster shows in this document that if Congress has the power to draft citizens, it also has he power to create a dictator The two parties handled their political issues differently, but they both had a common interest, America’s future. Jefferson and Madison, the Republican presidents of the time, displayed the differences between the two parties in several ways that involved the interpretation of the Constitution. Despite the interpretatio ns, strict or loose, the parties always had the best intentions.