1998 DBQ
The two major dominating political parties that existed in the early nineteenth century were the Jeffersonian Republicans and the Federalists. Both of the prevailing parties could be characterized by their interpretation of the Constitution. The Jeffersonian Republicans were a political group that were labeled as strict constructionists; for they represented that the Constitution should be taken word for word. If something was not specifically granted in the Constitution, then that act could not be performed within the boundaries of the law. The Federalist Party viewed the Constitution as the starting place, as they believed that they could shape and improvise the document as they choose. Unlike the Jeffersonian Republicans, the Federalists were broad constructionists who understood that the Constitution was a framework that could be manipulated in order to fit the current situation. These characterizations of the political parties are not completely accurate, for there was a substantial amount of divergence from the traditional beliefs in each organization. During the early years of the nineteenth century, Jefferson was running to hold the title of the presidency, while the Federalist Party was beginning to fade away. Gideo
The Louisiana Purchase, a monumental accomplishment in the history of the United States, was against the traditional characterization of Jefferson. The Constitution did not grant any powers to the federal government that would allow them to purchase any new lands. The document did not make reference to the situation of acquiring land, but yet Jefferson continued on and bought the land anyways. This decision to pursue the Louisiana land from France was against the Constitution because it was not mentioned, and no power was ever granted. The decision to buy the vast territory was against his strict constructionist ideals, and thus is why that characterization is inaccurate. At the Hartford Convention in January of the year 1815, the remaining Federalist supporters gathered together to discuss possible succession from the union of states. At this convention, the Federalist Party stated that the states should have the power to intervene if the government was establishing unfair laws and practices. This belief was against the traditional ideas of the Federalist Party, compared to their earlier view of a centralized government with little state interaction. This is another inaccuracy in the characterization of the Federalist Party, and it leads them to the ideals of
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Approximate Word count = 860
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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