| 1. | a political group that favored the adoption by the states of the Constitution. |
| 2. | a political party in early U.S. history advocating a strong central government. |
| Federalist Party n. A U.S. political party founded in 1787 to advocate the establishment of a strong federal government and the adoption by the states of the Constitution. The party gained prominence in the 1790s under the leadership of Alexander Hamilton. |
The first American political party. The Federalist party developed during the presidency of George Washington and was led by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams. Federalists believed in a strong federal government and advocated economic policies that would strengthen the federal government, such as the creation of a national bank. The opposition to the Federalists was led by Thomas Jefferson.