The term "Federalists" refers to a political group in the early United States that supported a strong national government. They advocated for the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1787, believing that a centralized authority was necessary to maintain order and unity among the states. Key figures included Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, who wrote the Federalist Papers to promote their ideas. Federalists were often contrasted with the Anti-Federalists, who feared that a powerful national government could threaten individual liberties and state rights. Over time, the Federalist Party emerged as a formal political party, influencing early American politics until its decline in the 1820s.