Sunday, July 25, 2010

Did Federalists oppose the Louisiana Purchase for practical or political reasons?

The Federalist opposition to the Louisianna Purchase was rooted in a political motivation.  To begin with, Thomas Jefferson, an anti-Federalist, brokered the deal with France.  The political rivalry between the federalists and anti-federalists had escalated since the establishment of the Constitution and neither side could resist the chance to oppose the other.  Another concern of the federalists was that the introduction of new citizens, and potentially, new states would interrupt the balance of power in favor of the anti-federalists.  The further away from Washington a state was, the less likely they were to be in favor of a strong federal government. There was also the likelihood that the states would adopt slavery in the new territory.  These political issues really hit home with the Federalists in the Northeast. 

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