They were, by the standards of the day. Before the fact really, as, as stated above, the whole idea of political alignment on the basis of philosophical outlook wasnt invented until 1790.
Popular politics had just been born, as had political ideology. The US was way ahead of the curve, and thus radical, and “leftist”.
The economic class conflict thing developed later, notably in England.
> The US was way ahead of the curve, and thus radical, and “leftist”. <
Good point. And labels can evolve.
For example, the term “dictator” was an honorable one in the old Roman Republic.