Simone Lawson
The Federalist Papers were a collection of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym Publius to promote the ratification of the United States Constitution. The Federalists believed that the Constitution was required to safeguard the liberty and independence that the American Revolution had created. They saw their most important role as defending the social gains of the Revolution. They advocated for a stronger national government, a well-chosen name, and impressive leaders like Benjamin Franklin and George Washington to aid their cause.
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What You'll Learn
The Federalist Papers
The first 77 of these essays were published serially in the Independent Journal, the New York Packet, and The Daily Advertiser between October 1787 and April 1788. A compilation of these 77 essays and eight others were published in two volumes as The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution, as Agreed upon by the Federal Convention, September 17, 1787, by publishing firm J. & A. McLean in March and May 1788. The last eight papers (Nos. 78–85) were republished in the New York newspapers between June 14 and August 16, 1788.
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The need for an independent judiciary
The Federalist Papers were written and published to urge New Yorkers to ratify the proposed United States Constitution. They explain in detail particular provisions of the Constitution and are thus often used today to interpret the intentions of those who drafted it. The Federalists, including big property owners in the North, conservative small farmers and businessmen, wealthy merchants, clergymen, judges, lawyers, and professionals, believed that the greatest threat to the future of the United States was not central power but the excesses of democracy. They saw their most important role as defending the social gains of the American Revolution, and the Constitution as a means to that end.
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, the authors of The Federalist Papers, were influential Federalists. They wrote many articles advocating for the ratification of the Constitution, and later formed the Federalist Party, which supported a strong national government. The Federalist Party saw the Articles of Confederation as weak and indicative of the instability a nation will face without a strong centralized government. Thus, they advocated for the Implied Powers of the President within the Constitution and Federal Supremacy.
Federalists believed that the Constitution was to act as a safeguard to prevent a tyrant from taking power. They thought that the preventative measures for the federal government were to come in the form of checks and balances that were laid out in the Constitution, alongside other measures like Senate approval/ratification, Judicial Review, and Executive appointed positions.
In Federalist No. 78, Alexander Hamilton explains the need for an independent judiciary. He notes that the federal courts "were designed to be an intermediate body between the people and their legislature" to ensure that the people's representatives acted only within the authority given to Congress under the Constitution. The US Constitution is the nation's fundamental law, codifying the core values of the people. Courts have the responsibility to interpret the Constitution's meaning, as well as the meaning of any laws passed by Congress. If any law passed by Congress conflicts with the Constitution, "the Constitution ought to be preferred to the statute, the intention of the people to the intention of their agents."
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The Bill of Rights
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". They were written to urge New Yorkers to ratify the proposed United States Constitution, explaining and promoting its particular provisions in detail. The Federalists, including Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, believed that the Constitution was required to safeguard the liberty and independence that the American Revolution had created.
The Federalists were well-organised and well-funded, and they made effective use of the printed word to spread their message. They believed that the greatest threat to the future of the United States was not the abuse of central power, but the excesses of democracy, as evidenced by popular disturbances like Shays' Rebellion and the pro-debtor policies of many states. They wanted to convince undecided Americans that, for the nation to thrive, democracy needed to be constrained in favour of a stronger central government.
To ensure the adoption of the Constitution, the Federalists promised to add amendments specifically protecting individual liberties. These amendments became the Bill of Rights, which included the First Amendment. The Bill of Rights was passed because concepts such as freedom of religion, speech, equal treatment, and due process of law were deemed so important that, barring a Constitutional Amendment, not even a majority should be allowed to change them.
In Federalist No. 10, Madison discusses preventing rule by majority faction and advocates for a large, commercial republic. In Federalist No. 84, Hamilton argues that there is no need to amend the Constitution by adding a Bill of Rights, as the various provisions in the proposed Constitution already protect liberty.
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Federalist supporters
The Federalists, including influential figures such as Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, played a significant role in shaping the early political landscape of the United States. They actively advocated for the ratification of the United States Constitution, believing it to be essential for safeguarding the liberty and independence gained through the American Revolution. To achieve this, they published a series of essays and articles, known as the Federalist Papers, that explained and promoted the proposed Constitution.
The Federalist supporters, who included big property owners, conservative small farmers, businessmen, wealthy merchants, clergymen, judges, lawyers, and professionals, favoured a strong central government over state governments. They saw the greatest threat to the nation in the excesses of democracy, as evidenced by popular disturbances like Shays' Rebellion, and believed that democracy needed to be constrained to ensure the country's prosperity. They also supported a representative form of democracy, with longer term limits for officeholders and indirect elections for government officials.
Federalist leaders like Hamilton and Madison were instrumental in drafting the Constitution and later forming the Federalist Party, which grew to support a robust national government and an expansive interpretation of congressional powers. They saw the Constitution as a safeguard against tyranny, with its system of checks and balances, separation of powers, and the implied powers of the President. Additionally, they believed in the economic policies influenced by Hamilton's experience as Secretary of the Treasury, addressing the war debt inherited from the Revolutionary War.
The Federalist Papers, written under the pseudonym "Publius," provided detailed explanations of specific provisions within the Constitution. For example, in Federalist No. 10, Madison discusses preventing rule by majority faction and advocates for a large, commercial republic. Hamilton, in Federalist No. 78, explains the need for an independent judiciary to ensure that the people's representatives act within the authority granted by the Constitution. These papers remain an essential source for interpreting the intentions behind the Constitution and understanding its underlying principles.
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Federalist vs Anti-Federalist
The Federalists were supporters of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and were well-organised, well-funded, and made careful use of the printed word. They believed that the greatest threat to the future of the United States was not posed by the abuse of central power, but by the excesses of democracy. They wanted to safeguard the liberty and independence that the American Revolution had created and saw their most important role as defending the social gains of the Revolution.
The Federalist Papers, a collection of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym "Publius", promoted the ratification of the Constitution. The first 77 of these essays were published serially in the Independent Journal, the New York Packet, and The Daily Advertiser between October 1787 and April 1788. The Federalists included big property owners in the North, conservative small farmers and businessmen, wealthy merchants, clergymen, judges, lawyers, and professionals. They favoured weaker state governments, a strong centralized government, the indirect election of government officials, longer term limits for officeholders, and representative democracy.
The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, were against the creation of a stronger national government and sought less drastic changes to the Articles of Confederation, which were seen as weak and indicative of the instability a nation will face without a strong centralized government. They wrote many essays of their own, but the Federalists ultimately prevailed in state ratification debates. The Federalist Papers remain a vital source for understanding key provisions within the Constitution and their underlying principles.
The Federalist Party was formed by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, who all authored many of the Federalist Papers. The party advocated for a stronger national government centred around the Executive Branch, alongside Federal Supremacy. The main base of support for this party came from the urban cities and the New England area. The supporters believed that the national government was superior to the state government, thus establishing a governmental hierarchy. The Federalist Party had many successes throughout the late 1700s in the Legislative Branch.
Anti-Federalists' Biggest Concern: Unchecked Power and Tyranny
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Frequently asked questions
The Federalist Papers were a collection of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay to promote the ratification of the United States Constitution.
The main argument of the Federalist Papers was that the Constitution was required to safeguard the liberty and independence that the American Revolution had created. The papers also emphasised the need for a strong central government and the superiority of the national government over state governments.
The Federalists proposed checks and balances, Senate approval/ratification, Judicial Review, and Executive appointed positions as preventative measures to constrain the power of the central government and protect the rights of the people.
The Federalist Papers were successful in articulating the Federalist position in favour of the adoption of the Constitution. They also played a vital role in interpreting the intentions of those who drafted the Constitution and helped establish key provisions within it, such as the Bill of Rights.
The Federalist Party emerged from the informal 'Pro-Administration' faction in Congress, which supported the ratification of the Constitution and the Federalist ideals outlined in the Federalist Papers. The party was influenced by Alexander Hamilton, who served as Secretary of the Treasury under President George Washington, and included other Federalist authors like John Jay and James Madison.
