The news of the peace treaty weakened the Federalist Party because it rendered their protests and threats, including the possibility of secession, irrelevant. The timing of the treaty—arriving while delegates were debating their grievances—meant that their calls for nullification or separation lost significance as the cause of their discontent (the war) came to an end. Consequently, this diminished their political influence at a critical moment and contributed to the further decline of the already weakening Federalist Party.
The British blockade had hurt New England’s sea trade. Also, many New Englanders feared that the United States might win land in Florida and Canada. If new states were carved out of these lands, the South and the West would become more influential than New England.
Delegates from around New England met in Hartford, Connecticut, in December 1814. Most were Federalists. They disliked the Democratic Republican President and the war.
Some delegates to the Hartford Convention threatened to nullify, or cancel, the state of war in their states if the war continued. Others threatened to leave the Union.
Then, while the delegates debated what to do, news of the peace treaty arrived. The Hartford Convention ended quickly. With the war over, the protest was meaningless. In the end, the threat of secession further weakened the dying Federalist party.
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Based on this excerpt from the text, how did news of the peace treaty weaken the Federa
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The news of the peace treaty weakened the Federalist Party by making their protests and threats—such as nullifying the war and the possibility of secession—meaningless, since the war was over. This caused their grievances to lose significance and diminished their political influence at a crucial time, contributing to the decline of the already weakening Federalist Party.