American politics in the early part of the 1800’s, housed two political parties; the Jeffersonian Republicans and the Federali

Have a little read: ... Gregg Klein American politics in the early part of the 1800s housed two political parties: the Jeffersonian Republicans and the Federalists. The former were made up of politicians and common people who believed that government should be run using a strict interpretation of the words within the Constitution, and thereby limiting the powers of the central government. On the other hand, the Federalists took a more liberal view, allowing for ample room in the interpretation of the Constitution and the maintenance of a strong federal government. During the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison, however, it is seen that these two publicly Jeffersonian republicans acted in ways that makes one doubt that their commitment to their political party's stated ideals was absolutely unconditional. Document A surely supports the claim that Jefferson often held true to Republican beliefs. In an 1800 letter to Gideon Granger, the President reasons that one centralized government could never adequately support the future of the United States. "Our country is too large to have all its affairs directed by a single government." This idea of diminished federal rule and the preservation of strong states' rights is surely consistent with the Jeffersonian ideal. Similarly, Document B illustrates this great man's view that the federal government should not interfere in religious matters. He feels that since the Constitution does not explicitly give the power for centralized control over religion, it should thus be left in the hands of the states. "Certainly no power to prescribe any religious exercise, or to assume authority in religious discipline, has been delegated, to the general government. It must then rest with the states, as far as it can be in any human authority..." These two documents, at least, do tend to support Thomas Jefferson's commitment to the Jeffersonian Republican Party platform; however, later in his life it appears that some of his decisions are not in complete agreement with the values of a strict Jeffersonian. Unlike the issues discussed in Documents A and B, the Embargo Act of Jefferson's presidency somewhat compromised Republican ideals. This measure prohibited American merchant ships from sailing to any foreign port. The United States was Britain's largest trading partner, and Jefferson hoped that the British would stop violating the rights of neutral nations rather than lose U.S. trade. This Act went against the Jeffersonian view of keeping open overseas commerce. Document C illustrates how the Act annoyed the British