Historians have offered varying interpretations of the conflict between the Federalist and Republican parties in the 1790s. Some paint the conflict as a clash between aristocracy and democracy. The Federalists, in their view, at bottom tried to create and sustain an American aristocracy that combined social, economic, and political prestige and thus were hostile to the mass of Americans. The Jeffersonians, in contrast, represented the democratic impulses in the country and thus enjoyed far wider popular support.

Despite its wide appeal, this interpretation overlooks the fact that the leaders of both parties were hardly ordinary citizens but instead men of great wealth and privilege. Moreover, Jefferson's party was especially strong in the more aristocratic South. Indeed, his victory in 1800 depended on the three-fifths clause, which increased the South's electoral votes by counting slaves in apportioning representation in the House of Representatives. Without the additional representation that slavery gave the southern state, John Adams, the supposedly aristocratic candidate, would have won.

Other historians trace party division back to the republican ideology of the Revolution. In their view, both parties favored republican government, but they held quite different views of the relationship between economic growth and republicanism. The Jeffersonians upheld the traditional attitude that republicanism rested on public virtue and that wealth, luxury, idleness, and speculation would undermine the moral fiber of the people and thus destroy the Republic. The Federalists also wanted a government elected by and responsible to the people. But to them commerce was not a threat to Republic but the means to strengthen it by stimulating Americans to think nationally rather than locally. Thus the two parties differed not over republican institutions but over the role commerce should play in a republic.

1			How ideologically different were the early Republicans and Federalists? To begin to answer this question, read John Adams' Thoughts on Government. What did Adams perceive as the most important elements of government? What concerns did he focus on in this document? Whom did he believe should maintain the majority of power in the American governmental system? http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/P/ja2/writings/tog.htm Now read Jefferson's letter, which, although not as straightforward an ideological statement as Adams' essay, nonetheless was one of the "delicious moments" in which he could "indulge himself in the luxury of philosophy." Given this opportunity, on what matters did Jefferson focus? How did his perspective on American politics differ, if at all, from that of Adams? What did Jefferson view as the most important issues facing the nation in 1802? What were the goals as he set out in this letter? Based on these documents, did Jefferson and Adams appear to have fundamentally different political philosophies? Explain. http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/P/tj3/writings/brf/jefl143.htm