Which of the following leaders was a prominent federalist?

Answer 1

There were 2 Federalist parties. The first Federalists were people at the Constitutional Convention who supported ratification. You could say the main leaders of that party were James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, who wrote the majority of the Federalist Papers, which were created to get the Constitution ratified in New York, and also Virginia.

The second Federalist party actually was a political party. It was created in support of Alexander Hamilton, who George Washington appointed Secretary of the Treasury, and his economic policies (Report on the Public Credit, Report on the National Bank, and Report on Manufactures). Later the Federalists adopted more policies other than the economic ones. They had 3 main leaders:

1. Alexander Hamilton, who created the party because of his economic policies. The Federalists never nominated him for president, because to do so meant taking advantage of a constitutional loophole that would have infuriated Republicans (Hamilton was not from the colonies, but the West Indies). He, however, wouldn't have wanted it, and he would have made a terrible president. And he knew it. Even so, he controlled things from the sidelines and quietly sabotaged the people who he didn't think were fit for presidency, namely John Adams. When he died in 1804, the Federalist party slowly started to decline because its most ardent supporter, from every turn, was dead.

2. John Adams, the only Federalist president. He led the moderate faction of the party, distancing himself from the more ardent supporters and angling himself as a more moderate Federalist, certainly not "dangerous" or an "intriguer", which is what people thought Hamilton to be. In leading the moderate faction (and his mutual hatred with Hamilton), the Federalist party began to split. It didn't help that Hamilton, who despised John Adams as much as Adams despised him, wrote a 54 page essay in the election of 1800 denouncing Adams, who was from his own party.

3. John Marshall, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for 34 years. After John Adams' leave from public office and Alexander Hamilton's untimely death, he became the sole Federalist in public office, and when he ruled in Supreme Court rulings, a lot of his ideas were drawn from the policies of the Federalist party.

Answer 2

The most prominent member of the Federalist Party was Alexander Hamilton. This is because he is credited with starting the movement and creating the name "Federalists" via "The Federalist Papers".

Answer 3

James Madison

Answer 4

John Adams