After a vicious campaign that ended in a rancorous decision by the House of Representatives, Thomas Jefferson's inauguration was anti-climactic. He chose to take a tone of reconciliation, wishing to tamp down some of the conflict that was bubbling under the surface of the United States. The switchover from the Federalist administration of Adams to the Republican one of Jefferson was peaceful, if not exactly amicable. No matter how dire the situation, or how little each party liked the other, this transition set a precedent which has still endured.
However, that didn't mean partisanship went away. The Federalist party was still a going concern, and it definitely had differences with the Jeffersonians. All through the Jefferson administration they would push back against Jefferson, with limited success. This was in large part due to the lack of power they had, as the Republicans controlled majorities in both the Senate and the House. In addition, the party suffered from a lack of solid leadership, with Adams retired and Hamilton disgraced (and in 1804 killed in the famous duel with Aaron Burr). As it was until the 17th Amendment, the Senate was selected by state legislatures, so the dominance of this chamber by the Republicans showed how the states were also controlled by the followers of Jefferson, at least outside of New England.
As time went on, the Federalists continued to slowly wither away, becoming primarily a regional party of New England, and even there mostly for the elites. Jefferson won reelection easily in 1804, beating Charles Coatsworth Pinckney. In 1808, Jefferson followed Washington's example and chose not to run for a third term, which opened the door for James Madison. He won in a repeat performance against Pinckney, winning every state outside of New England save for Delaware. The Federalist party's prospects were so dim, even John Adams' son John Quincy decided to switch to the Republican party in 1808.
The last gasp of the Federalists came in 1812, as the War of 1812 began and Madison was up for reelection. The Federalists ran DeWitt Clinton, who came the closest to unseating a Republican, winning 7 states (3 outside of New England). However, it wasn't enough, and Madison's administration would barely escape the war with the British with a draw. The Federalists were adamantly opposed to the war, and even held a conference to propose new constitutional amendments to prevent the situation happening in the future. However, as they held little power in the Federal government, this opposition amounted to little.
With the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, Madison had secured a draw against the world's greatest colonial power. This bolstered the Republicans and further hampered the Federalists. The presidential election of 1816 saw James Monroe (Madison's Secretary of State) easily defeat Rufus King. This would be the last election the Federalists would put a candidate forth, as in 1820 Monroe won reelection by an almost unanimous electoral count. The Federalist party lingered for a while longer in Congress and on the state and local levels, but it was done as a national concern. It appeared that a general consensus had developed around the American System of Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams, John Calhoun, and the other leaders of the Republican party. The Era of Good Feeling was in place, but Monroe would be leaving office after the 1824 election, and there wasn't a clear successor to be found. Another era of bitter partisanship was just around the corner.
No comments:
Post a Comment