Tag Archives: Federalists

How New England’s Federalists Regarded the Union (continued)

New England’s Federalists were concerned about the loss of representation and power.  In 1788, during the Constitutional Convention,  Northerners made a concession to the South.  They gave Southern states the ability to count five slaves as three free white men, … Continue reading

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How New England’s Federalists Regarded the Rest of the United States

Federalists and other New Englanders considered themselves exceptional.  They claimed superiority over other American regions, especially the South.  Their claims were based on religion. A writer for the Columbian Centinel in Boston explained: “The God of nature, in his infinite goodness … Continue reading

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How Mathew Carey Cleverly Avoided Accusation

In December 1799, John Ward Fenno, Junior, editor of the leading Federalist newspaper, Gazette of the United States, published an editorial claiming the United Irishmen in the United States were plotting a rebellion.  He identified the suspected leaders of the organization:  … Continue reading

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How the Federalists Tried to Tamper with the Presidential Election

  The Federalists wanted a victory in the presidential election.  They boldly attempted to tamper with electoral votes. Their proposed bill used a “Grand Committee” selected from the House, Senate, and Supreme Court.  They controlled all three.  The “Grand Committee” … Continue reading

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How William Duane Eluded Authorities (continued)

The Federalists soon set their sights on prosecuting William Duane as an alien.  As an Irishman, he denounced the Alien Act and circulated a petition against it, collecting signatures in Philadelphia.  As he tried to solicit signatures outside St. Mary’s … Continue reading

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How Benjamin Franklin’s Grandson was charged with Seditious Libel

  In May 1798, William Cobbett published an influential piece, “Detection of a Conspiracy formed by the United Irishmen, with the Evident Intention of Aiding the Tyrants of France in Subverting the Government of the United States”  reporting that the … Continue reading

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How Newspaper Politics Lead to Federalist Attacks on Other Newspaper Editors

  John Fenno wanted to publish an official government newspaper.  He was a penmanship teacher from Boston who had failed at keeping an inn, managing a shop, and working in the export business before working as a journalist for the Boston … Continue reading

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How the Federalists Attacked Mathew Carey and His Brother

Mathew’s brother James established the Daily Advertiser in Philadelphia.  He was an avid Democratic-Republican.  He had been involved with the Evening Star, mouthpiece of the United Irishmen in Dublin.  Inevitably, he attracted the attention and venom of William Cobbett.  Cobbett … Continue reading

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Those “Wild Irishmen” and the Alien and Sedition Acts

This is not the first time America’s two parties have been contentious.  The government shutdown, coupled with the controversy over illegal aliens, brings to mind the Alien and Sedition Acts.  The Federalists tried to silence the Democratic-Republicans.  Mathew Carey was part of the struggle.  … Continue reading

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Were New England’s Federalists Really Abolitionists?

During the 1780s Massachusetts abolished slavery.  After that, the abolition society in Massachusetts stopped taking part in Philadelphia’s annual abolition convention.[1] After the economically crippling policies of Jefferson and Madison, the Federalists regained power in New England.  The authorities segregated … Continue reading

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