Eleanor Finch
The Federalist Papers were a series of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the collective pseudonym Publius. The papers were written to support the ratification of the Constitution of the United States, specifically in New York, and were published in New York newspapers between October 1787 and August 1788. The Federalist Papers remain an important collection today as they offer insight into the intentions of key individuals who debated the elements of the Constitution. The authors intended to influence voters to ratify the Constitution, with Madison, for example, advocating for a large, commercial republic and checks and balances in the government.
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What You'll Learn
The Federalist Papers
The high demand for the essays led to their publication in a more permanent form. On January 1, 1788, the New York publishing firm J. & A. McLean announced that they would publish the first 36 essays as a bound volume. This was followed by a second volume containing essays Nos. 37–77 and the previously unpublished Nos. 78–85.
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The authors of The Federalist
The Federalist Papers were a series of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pen name "Publius". Hamilton, a lawyer and statesman, had served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and was the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States. He recruited Madison and Jay to write the essays with him, and he chose their pseudonym in honour of Publius Valerius Publicola, one of the Roman aristocrats who overthrew the monarchy in 509 BC and is credited with being instrumental in the founding of the Roman Republic. Hamilton believed he would be instrumental in the founding of the American Republic as well.
The Federalist Papers were written in defence of the proposed Constitution and to explain in detail its principles. The authors argued that the decentralisation of power that existed under the Articles of Confederation prevented the new nation from becoming strong enough to compete on the world stage or quell internal insurrections. They used the essays to explain key provisions of the proposed Constitution, as well as the nature of the republican form of government. Madison, for example, argued against the French political philosopher Montesquieu's assertion that true democracy was feasible only for small states.
The first 36 essays were published as a bound volume on March 22, 1788, titled "The Federalist Volume 1". New essays continued to appear in newspapers, and a second bound volume was released on May 28, containing essays 37-77 and the previously unpublished 78-85. The last eight papers were republished in the New York newspapers between June 14 and August 16, 1788.
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The Anti-Federalists
Anti-Federalism was a late-18th-century political movement that opposed the creation of a stronger US federal government and later opposed the ratification of the 1787 Constitution. Led by Patrick Henry of Virginia, the Anti-Federalists believed that the Constitution, as drafted, would lead to a loss of individual liberties, an erosion of state sovereignty, and the potential for the rise of tyranny. They advocated for a more decentralized form of government with greater protections for individual rights and stronger representation for the states.
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The Bill of Rights
The Federalist Papers were written to promote the ratification of the Constitution of the United States. The collection of 85 articles and essays was authored by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym "Publius". The Federalists supported the Constitution and wanted a stronger federal government. They believed that the Constitution already ensured individual rights for citizens and that a "'Bill of Rights' was unnecessary.
However, the Anti-Federalists disagreed, arguing that the Constitution gave too much power to the federal government and took power away from the states. They believed that the new "president" role, as the leader of the executive branch, could consolidate too much power and become "King-like", turning the government into a pseudo-monarchy. To address these concerns, many Anti-Federalists called for a means to codify individual rights, leading to the proposal of a national "Bill of Rights".
The idea of a "Bill of Rights" gained traction, and amendments began to be proposed. James Madison, a primary collaborator of Hamilton, suggested 17 amendments, which were presented to Congress on July 21, 1789. After months of discussion and rewriting, Congress sent 12 amendments to be ratified by the states. By 1791, 10 of these amendments had been ratified by enough states to become the "Bill of Rights", giving American citizens codified individual freedoms such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and the right to assemble and petition.
The "Bill of Rights" became the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, ensuring that citizens' freedoms were explicitly spelled out and protected. The process of adding amendments to the Constitution addressed Federalist concerns about the potential loss of rights through omission and provided a mechanism for future revisions to the nation's governing document.
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The Federalists' beliefs
The Federalist Party was a conservative and nationalist American political party and the first political party in the United States. It dominated the national government under Alexander Hamilton from 1789 to 1801. The party was formed by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, who wrote a series of 85 essays under the pseudonym "Publius" to promote the ratification of the Constitution of the United States. These essays, known as The Federalist Papers, were written to combat Anti-Federalism and persuade the public of the necessity of the Constitution.
The Federalists believed in a strong central government that promoted economic growth and fostered friendly relationships with Great Britain, in opposition to Revolutionary France. They supported Hamilton's fiscal policies, which included funding the national and state debts, creating a central bank, maintaining a tariff system, and favourable treatment of American shipping. In foreign affairs, they observed neutrality in the war between France and Great Britain in 1793 and approved the Jay Treaty of 1794, which improved relations with Britain.
The Federalist Party was popular with bankers, businessmen, and New Englanders, as they favoured a strong central government and national power over state power. They believed that the greatest threat to the United States lay not in the abuse of central power, but in the excesses of democracy, such as popular disturbances and pro-debtor policies of many states. The Federalists saw their most important role as defending the social gains of the Revolution, with the Constitution as a "republican remedy for the diseases most incident to republican government."
The Federalist Party controlled the national government until 1801 when it was defeated by the Democratic-Republican Party led by Thomas Jefferson. The Federalists never returned to power, and they collapsed after the Era of Good Feelings following the end of the War of 1812 in 1815.
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Frequently asked questions
The Federalist Papers are a collection of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the collective pseudonym "Publius".
The Federalist Papers were written to promote the ratification of the US Constitution.
The Federalist Papers were written between 1787 and 1788.
The Federalist Papers were published in New York newspapers, primarily the Independent Journal and the New York Packet.
The Federalist Papers were influential in shaping the ideology of the Federalists during the creation of the US Constitution. They remain an important collection as they offer insight into the intentions of key individuals who debated the elements of the Constitution.
