A supporter of the view that the province of Quebec should remain within the Canadian federal system; an opponent of Quebec-based separatism or sovereigntism
Someone or something that is federalist believes in, supports, or follows a federal system of government. the federalist idea of Europe. Federalist is also a noun. Many Quebeckers are federalists. Federalist papers The Federalist Federalist Party
An advocate of confederation; a friend of the Constitution of the United States at its formation and adoption; a member of the political party which favored the administration of president Washington
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. Early U.S. political party that advocated a strong central government. Federalist was first used in 1787 to describe supporters of the Constitution of the United States, with its emphasis on a federal union; the Federalist papers was a series of 85 papers (1787-88) published by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay to persuade New York voters to ratify the Constitution. By the 1790s other policies defined the party, including Hamilton's fiscal program, creation of a central bank, a tariff system, favourable treatment for U.S. shipping, friendship with Britain, and neutrality in foreign affairs. The party elected John Adams as president in 1796 but was unable to organize effectively after 1801. It lost favour for its opposition to the Embargo Act and the War of 1812; an internal split by the New England faction (see Hartford Convention) further weakened the party. By the 1820s most of its original principles had been adopted by the opposition Democratic Party, and the Federalist Party disappeared. Notable Federalists included John Marshall, Rufus King, Timothy Pickering, and Charles Pinckney
formally The Federalist Eighty-five essays on the proposed Constitution of the United States and the nature of republican government, published in 1787-88 by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in an effort to persuade voters of New York state to support ratification. Most of the essays first appeared serially in New York newspapers; they were reprinted in other states and then published as a book in 1788. A few of the essays were issued separately later. All were signed "Publius." They presented a masterly exposition of the federal system and the means of attaining the ideals of justice, general welfare, and the rights of individuals