Isabella Carter
The Federalist Papers, also known as The Federalist, is a collection of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym Publius. The primary purpose of the essays was to convince the citizens of New York to elect to a state ratifying convention delegates who would favor the new United States Constitution. The Federalists, who supported the new Constitution, believed in a strong central government, weaker state governments, and a more mercantile economy. They saw the greatest threat to the future of the United States in the excesses of democracy and sought to constrain it in favor of a stronger central government.
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What You'll Learn
The Federalist Papers
At the time of publication, the authors of The Federalist Papers attempted to hide their identities due to Hamilton and Madison's involvement in the convention. However, their identities were correctly discerned by astute observers. After Hamilton's death in 1804, a list emerged claiming that he alone had written two-thirds of the essays. Modern scholarship, however, attributes 51 articles to Hamilton, 29 to Madison, and 5 to Jay.
Federalist Constitution: America's Founding Federalist Document
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Ratification of the Constitution
The ratification of the US Constitution was a contentious process, with supporters of the Constitution calling themselves Federalists and their opponents known as Anti-Federalists. The Federalists, including big property owners, conservative small farmers, businessmen, wealthy merchants, clergymen, judges, lawyers, and professionals, desired a strong central government with weaker state governments. They also favoured the indirect election of government officials, longer term limits for officeholders, and representative democracy.
The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, feared that a strong national government would infringe on the powers of the states and compromise individual liberties. They believed that state legislatures, with which they had more direct contact, could better protect their freedoms. The Anti-Federalists published a series of essays under pseudonyms such as "Brutus," "Cato," and the "Federal Farmer," expressing their concerns about an overreaching central government and the absence of a Bill of Rights.
The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, responded to the Anti-Federalists' criticisms with a series of 85 articles known as The Federalist Papers. These essays, written by Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the collective pseudonym "Publius", advocated for the ratification of the Constitution and presented a case for a strong national government. The first of these Federalist essays was published in a New York newspaper on October 27, 1787, and addressed to the people of New York, particularly the delegates to the state's Ratifying Convention.
The ratification debate played out in homes, taverns, and on the printed page, with educated men from all the states authoring pamphlets, essays, and cartoons arguing for or against ratification. The Federalists were better organised and had strong support in the press, ultimately prevailing in the state ratification debates. By mid-January 1788, five states (Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) had ratified the Constitution. On February 6, 1788, Massachusetts became the sixth state to approve the Constitution, followed by Maryland and South Carolina, bringing the total to eight.
The approval of Virginia and New York, two influential states with considerable opposition to the Constitution, was crucial. Facing this challenge, Hamilton, Madison, and Jay distributed their essays in book form to friends and delegates in these states, hoping to sway them towards ratification. Their efforts paid off, and on June 25, 1788, Virginia became the tenth state to ratify. New York followed suit, and with eleven states having ratified the new Constitution, the process of organising the new government began.
Federalist Constitution: Power to Women?
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Checks and balances
The US Constitution divides the government into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. The system of checks and balances was developed to ensure that no one branch becomes too powerful.
The legislative branch makes laws, but the President in the executive branch can veto those laws with a Presidential Veto. The legislative branch makes laws, but the judicial branch can declare those laws unconstitutional. The executive branch, through the Federal agencies, has the responsibility for the day-to-day enforcement and administration of Federal laws.
The Legislative Vesting Clause, along with the Executive and Judicial Vesting Clauses, delineate the powers the Framers accorded to the National Government’s Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches.
James Madison, in Federalist No. 47, noted that the political theorist Baron Charles de Montesquieu had written about the separation of powers concept almost 100 years earlier. Madison's political theory, as expressed in Federalist No. 51, demonstrated the influence of Montesquieu's "The Spirit of the Laws" on the Founders.
In Federalist No. 51, Madison explains and defends the checks and balances system in the Constitution. Each branch of government is framed so that its power checks the power of the other two branches. Madison also discusses the way republican government can serve as a check on the power of factions, and the tyranny of the majority. He concludes that all of the Constitution’s checks and balances serve to preserve liberty by ensuring justice.
The Constitution's Federalist 51: Separation of Powers and Checks
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Anti-Federalist Papers
The Anti-Federalist Papers were a series of essays written by those known as the Anti-Federalists, who were opposed to the United States Constitution of 1787. The essays were written over a number of years and by a variety of authors, who used pseudonyms such as "Brutus" and "Cato" to remain anonymous. The Anti-Federalists were not engaged in an organized project, unlike the authors of the Federalist Papers, who worked as a group of three. The Anti-Federalist Papers were written to argue against the implementation of a stronger federal government without protections on certain rights.
The Anti-Federalist Papers failed to prevent the ratification of the Constitution, which took effect in 1789. However, they did succeed in influencing the first assembly of the United States Congress to draft the Bill of Rights. The essays reflected the sentiments of the Anti-Federalists, including a fear of a powerful central government, a belief in the necessity of direct citizen participation in democracy, and a distrust of wealthy merchants and industrialists.
The Brutus essays, generally attributed to Robert Yates, are among the most important of the Anti-Federalist writings. In his first essay, Brutus examined various clauses in the Constitution and argued that the proposed unification of the thirteen states into one republic would create a federal government with "absolute and uncontrollable power". He also pointed out the lack of limitations on the legislative power to lay taxes, duties, imposts, and excises.
The Cato essays, likely written by New York Governor George Clinton, also provided significant arguments against the Constitution. Cato's first letter, published in the New-York Journal, led to the Federalists publishing the "Publius" letters in response. Cato went on to write six more letters, addressing his concerns to the citizens of New York.
The Anti-Federalist Papers, while ultimately unsuccessful in preventing the ratification of the Constitution, played a crucial role in shaping the early political landscape of the United States and influencing the development of the Bill of Rights.
Federalists' Strategies for Gaining Support for the Constitution
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Federalists' political philosophy
The term "Federalist" is used to describe several political beliefs and practices around the world. In the context of the United States, Federalists typically refer to members or supporters of the Federalist Party, the first political party in the country. Led by Alexander Hamilton, the Federalist Party supported a stronger centralised government and advocated for a national bank and heavy government subsidies. They believed in the superiority of national government over state government and favoured the establishment of an army and navy.
The Federalist Party came into being as a result of the debates surrounding the ratification of the new United States Constitution in the late 1780s. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, writing under the collective pseudonym "Publius", authored a series of 85 essays known as The Federalist Papers, which promoted the ratification of the Constitution and provided an interpretation of the drafters' intentions. These essays were published in New York newspapers and later compiled into two volumes, becoming the most authoritative interpretation of the Constitution.
The Federalists' political philosophy can be characterised by their support for a strong central government. They believed that a centralised government was necessary to ensure national unity and prosperity. Hamilton, in particular, argued for a one-man chief executive, presenting his case in Federalist No. 70. Madison, on the other hand, presented a more nuanced view of federalism in Federalist No. 39, suggesting that the new Constitution was "neither a national nor a federal Constitution, but a composition of both".
The Federalists also believed in the importance of checks and balances within the government. In Federalist No. 51, Madison distilled arguments for checks and balances, justifying the government as "the greatest of all reflections on human nature". This reflected their understanding of human nature and the potential for abuse of power if certain checks were not in place.
In addition to their domestic policies, the Federalists also had a significant impact on foreign affairs. They favoured neutrality in the war between France and Great Britain, and they generally preferred Great Britain in world affairs. The party opposed involvement in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, reflecting their cautious approach to foreign entanglements.
Federalists' Success: Passing the Constitution
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Frequently asked questions
The Federalist Papers were a series of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym "Publius". The collection was written to promote the ratification of the Constitution of the United States.
The primary purpose of the essays was to convince the citizens of New York to elect to a state ratifying convention delegates who would favour the new United States Constitution.
The Federalist Papers became the most authoritative interpretation of what the drafters of the Constitution intended, influencing the development and interpretation of American constitutional law.
