Omar Bennett
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 collective pseudonym Publius. The papers were written and published to urge New Yorkers to ratify the proposed United States Constitution, which was drafted in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787. The Federalist Papers explain particular provisions of the Constitution in detail and are often used today to interpret the intentions of those who drafted the Constitution. The supporters of the proposed Constitution called themselves Federalists, implying a commitment to a loose, decentralized system of government.
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What You'll Learn
The Federalist Papers
The supporters of the proposed Constitution called themselves "Federalists". Their adopted name implied a commitment to a loose, decentralized system of government. However, "federalism" implies a strong central government, which was the opposite of the proposed plan that they supported. The Federalists believed that the greatest threat to the future of the United States was not in the abuse of central power, but in the excesses of democracy. They wanted to constrain democracy in favour of a stronger central government.
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Alexander Hamilton
Hamilton, a Federalist, supported the ratification of the Constitution. He recognised the importance of New York's ratification, as without it, the new government would inevitably split into separate confederacies. In Federalist No. 1, Hamilton states that the series would "endeavour to give a satisfactory answer to all the objections which shall have made their appearance, that may seem to have any claim to your attention." Hamilton and 19 other Federalist delegates faced 47 Anti-Federalists at the New York Ratifying Convention in Albany in June 1788. Hamilton's performance at this convention was particularly remarkable, as he presented his case for ratification to an oppositional group.
Hamilton's ideas about the Constitution are summarised in the Federalist Papers, particularly in Federalist No. 70, where he argues for a strong executive leader as provided for by the Constitution. He asserts that "energy in the executive is the leading character in the definition of good government" and that a single executive is "far more safe" than an executive council. Hamilton also proposed that the government establish a steady revenue stream by taxing imported goods. Additionally, he believed that the government should assume the debts of the states, arguing that having all states manage their debts was inefficient.
Hamilton's economic policies, such as the creation of a federal bank, helped pass the Constitution and develop a sound monetary policy for the nation. His ideas, as summarised in the Federalist Papers, were instrumental in shaping the United States Constitution and its subsequent ratification by the states.
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James Madison
Madison's most notable work during this period was his authorship of "Federalist Number 10" or Federalist 10, one of a series of essays known as The Federalist Papers. Written under the pen name "Publius", Federalist 10 defended the form of republican government proposed by the Constitution. Madison argued that a large, diverse republic would best protect private rights and the public good, as factions would be forced to negotiate and compromise, preventing tyranny. He saw factions as inevitable due to the nature of man—the differing opinions, wealth, and property ownership would always lead to the formation of alliances. Madison also believed that the federal Constitution provided for a "happy combination" of a republic and a purer form of democracy, with a decentralized governmental structure.
In addition to his work on Federalist 10, Madison wrote at least 19 other essays for The Federalist Papers, joining forces with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay to advocate for the ratification of the US Constitution. These essays were published anonymously in various New York state newspapers between October 1787 and May 1788, with the primary goal of urging New Yorkers to support the Constitution over the existing Articles of Confederation. The Federalist Papers are now often used to interpret the intentions of the drafters of the Constitution.
Prior to his work on the US Constitution, Madison had also been involved in drafting the Virginia Constitution in 1776 and served as a Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress from 1780 to 1783 and again from 1787 to 1788. His notes from the Continental Congress provide valuable insights into the activities of Congress during the American Revolution and the motivations for a new federal Constitution.
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John Jay
The Federalist Papers, commonly referred to as a collection of 85 articles and essays, were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym "Publius". The papers were written and published to urge New Yorkers to ratify the proposed United States Constitution. John Jay, who was the secretary for foreign affairs under the Articles of Confederation from 1784 until 1789, played a significant role in the creation of these papers.
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Ratification of the Constitution
The Federalist Papers, a collection of 85 essays by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, were written and published to urge New Yorkers to ratify the proposed United States Constitution. The supporters of the proposed Constitution called themselves "Federalists" and their adopted name implied a commitment to a loose, decentralized system of government. The Federalists believed that the greatest threat to the future of the United States was not the abuse of central power but the excesses of democracy. They wanted to safeguard the liberty and independence that the American Revolution had created.
The Constitution was drafted in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787, and it was signed by 38 out of 41 delegates present on September 17, 1787. The document was then submitted to the Congress of the Confederation in New York City, the nation's temporary capital, within three days of its signing. The Constitution was intended to amend the Articles of Confederation, but it introduced a completely new form of government.
Under Article VII, the new Constitution would not be binding until its ratification by nine of the 13 existing states. The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, and it became the official framework of the government of the United States of America. The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island approved the document.
The ratification process was long and arduous, and the proposal was debated, criticized, and expounded upon clause by clause. The Federalists faced opposition from the Anti-Federalists, who believed that the Constitution did not provide protection for rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. To address these concerns, Madison introduced 17 amendments to the Constitution, of which Congress adopted twelve on September 25, 1789, to send to the states for ratification. Ten of those amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791.
Federalists' Constitution Defense: Their Winning Strategy
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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". They were written to promote the ratification of the United States Constitution.
The Federalist Papers were written and published to urge New Yorkers to ratify the proposed United States Constitution. They explain particular provisions of the Constitution in detail and are used today to interpret the intentions of those who drafted it.
Federalists believed that the greatest threat to the future of the United States was not the abuse of central power, but the excesses of democracy. They saw their most important role as defending the social gains of the American Revolution and safeguarding the liberty and independence it had created.
