payment page
What are the Federalist Papers?
The Federalist Papers are a collection of 85 essays written in support of the Constitution that were published serially in New York newspapers between October 1787 and early 1788. They provided strong and rational justifications for choices made by the Constitutional Convention, which had ended a few weeks before the first essay was published. The Federalist Papers were later compiled into a single volume entitled The Federalist, which is one of the most important articulations of American political philosophy of all time.
Who wrote the Federalist Papers?
The authors of the federalist essays were Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. Hamilton was a leading Federalist from New York and the main author of the Federalist Papers—writing 51 of 85 essays. Madison, of Virgina, wrote most of the rest of the essays. His crucial role in the formulation and passage of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights would result him being called the “Father of the Constitution.” Jay, another leading New York Federalist, was the author of five of the essays. Since both Hamilton and Madison had served as delegates to the Constitutional Convention, the essays were all published under the name Publius. They felt their arguments would be criticized as subjective because they took a large part in crafting the very document they defended.
What motivated the authors of the Federalist Papers to write the essays?
Although the document originated with Hamilton’s concern about ratification of the US Constitution in the state of New York, leaders in many states used the arguments constructed in the essays to support ratification of the Constitution. The struggle for ratification in New York and Virginia, two of the most powerful states, continued even after the Constitution received the required 9 of 13 state approvals. Technically, the Constitution would have gone into effect whether New York or Virginia ratified or not.
How did the Federalist Papers counter arguments against the Constitution?
Federalists strongly disagreed with arguments opposing the Constitution by the Anti-Federalists. In the Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay argued that republicanism would work for the United States. They suggested that the republic would be so large, with so many conflicting constituencies, no single faction would ever be able to dominate the others. Moreover, they continued, safeguards inserted into the Constitution, such as the separation of powers and the system of checks and balances, would prevent the government from ever becoming too powerful. These Federalist arguments helped convince the states to ratify the Constitution.
What is the political philosophy of the Federalist Papers?
The political philosophy contained in the Federalist Papers is based on the theories of the European philosophers of the Enlightenment, historical examples, and the experience of the United States under the Articles of Confederation. The essays not only provided historical arguments and philosophical theories about the nature of individuals and government, but also strong criticisms of the weaknesses inherent in the Articles of Confederation. The overall purpose of the essays was to convince the people that a more energetic and stronger centralized government would be more protective of their liberty.
The European philosophers influencing the statement of political philosophy in the Federalist Papers included John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Thomas Hobbes. These philosophes thought in terms of natural rights and described the forms of government best suited to protect these rights. They acknowledged that an individual's impulse towards self-preservation, liberty, and self-interest would fundamentally come into conflict with the competing needs of other individuals. Therefore, the best form of government balanced the selfish needs of the individual with the need to protect the whole community.
