As the young American colonies broke away from their homeland and began to grow and develop into a truly democratic nation, many changes occurred. As democracy began to grow, two major political parties developed, the Jeffersonian Republicans and the Federalists. Each party had different opinions on how government should be run. Jeffersonian Republicans believed in strong state governments, a weak central government, and strict construction of the Constitution. Federalists opted for a powerful central government with weaker state governments and a loose interpretation of the Constitution. Over the years, political parties have grown, developed and even dispersed into entirely new factions. Many of the inconsistencies and changes can be noted during the presidencies of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. When Thomas Jefferson took office in 1800, he came with many new ideas and goals as president. Jefferson believed in a smaller central government with stronger state governments. He was a Republican and favored the vision of rigorous construction. He believed that “our country is too large to have all its affairs directed by one government…” (Document A). Jefferson and his Republican Party believed in a government that would work for the people and put them at their best. This is why they believed in having stronger state governments, they were closer to home and the people they governed, so they knew more about what the public needed. Document B also refers to Jefferson's rigorous construction and beliefs. We talk about the freedoms enshrined in the Constitution, mainly freedom of religion. Jefferson believes that the federal government should have no say in dealing with people's religion. Republicans believed that any law set forth in the Constitution must be strictly followed. As Jefferson's presidency wore on, the Jeffersonian's republican beliefs began to drift further and further away from the original ideals with which they began. Some of Jefferson's decisions turned out to conform to the Federalists' loose construction of the Constitution. When he made the decision to purchase the Louisiana Territory, he never received congressional approval. He... is at the center of the card... is the country as a whole. John Randolph, a Democratic Republican at the time, even suggested that Jeffersonian Republicans were adopting the old principles of federalism during Madison's tenure. Document F explains how "this government has created and given power to Congress to regulate commerce... not to impose obligations but with an eye fixed on revenue..." As the country grows and matures into a great nation , people realize that change is inevitable and sometimes even necessary. In the period between 1802 and 1817, many Jeffersonian Republicans realized that their ideals and principles were not always best for the nation. That's why they adopted some of the ideals of the old Federalist Party. Furthermore, during this period, the Federalists died out. As he realized after the Hartford Convention, the nation no longer needed or wanted Federalists if Democratic Republicans could get the job done. Although people changed a lot during this period, it seemed to be beneficial to the nation. If people had not grown up and continued to learn and aspire to what they need, then perhaps we would never have arrived at the great nation that the United States of America is today..