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Background on the Federalist Papers American Studies Mr. Carlson The Federalists Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay Background on the Papers: Today, The Federalist Papers is the single greatest source of information on the Constitution of the United States. These documents provide the ideas about and explanations for what the Founding Fathers were trying to accomplish writing the United States Constitution. The Federalist Papers is a collection of essays, or a treatise1, on what a free government can and should do to make sure there is peace and security for their country. The Federalist papers were written to convince people that ratification of the Constitution was a good plan for the country. Many people today do not realize how the Constitution was a revolutionary change in how governments were organized. During the Constitutional Convention, the delegates rebelled against the existing Articles of Confederation and needed the states to ratify the Constitution as a plan for the government. The delegates did not seek approval from the government set up by the Articles of the Confederation. This upset many Antifederalists2 because, one – it was illegal according to the rules of the Articles, and two, they felt the delegates did not have the authority to reorganize the government of the United States. 1 treatise – a formal written work that deals with a subject systematically and usually extensively 2 Antifederalist – somebody who did not agree that the U.S. Constitution should be formally approved and recognized at the time it was drawn up American Studies Mr. Carlson Because of the revolutionary nature of the new constitution - remember, the Constitution completely reorganized the American government from the ground up - it was necessary for the Founding Fathers to explain their actions to American citizens. After the convention, Federalists3 and Anti-federalists each gathered supporters to begin the debate of whether or not their states would ratify the new Constitution. Hundreds and hundreds of letters were written regarding the Constitution debate. Both George Washington and Ben Franklin, probably the two most influential men in the country, supported the Constitution. Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, and New York were the states critical to the success or failure of the Constitution. Of these four states, New York was by far the state where the success of the Constitution was in the most doubt. The state's delegation did not approve the original draft at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia because two of its three delegates left in protest and abandoned Alexander Hamilton without a vote. George Clinton, governor of New York and the leading figure in New York politics, opposed the new government because his state had grown very rich by controlling trade with its neighboring states under the Articles of Confederation. New York was so rich and powerful that it was almost like an independent country by itself. Alexander Hamilton decided that a massive propaganda4 campaign was necessary in New York, much more than in any other states. This new plan required a saturation5 theory, a sustained barrage6 of arguments appearing in newspapers four times a week. Because of the massive amounts of work, he decided that he needed two co-authors to help him write each article 3 Federalist – somebody who supported the U.S. Constitution and the idea for a government in which several states give up certain powers to a central government while keeping some powers of self- government 4 propaganda – information or publicity put out by an organization or government to spread and promote a policy, idea, or cause 5 saturation – (military) intensive bombing of a military target in order to overwhelm an enemy 6 barrage – a rapid attacking outpouring of something American Studies Mr. Carlson under the pseudonym of Publius.7 Although he originally had asked others to assist him in the project, James Madison, a Virginia citizen, and John Jay, a New Yorker and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, accepted the offer to help Hamilton convince the public that ratification of the Constitution was the right decision. Unfortunately, John Jay was injured shortly after the project started and was able to complete only a few papers. That left Hamilton and Madison to finish the rest, a task they were able to complete because they relied heavily on notes they had kept from the Constitutional Convention. Their articles were published serially (in order) in different newspapers in New York, where four out of five of the major newspapers in the country at the time were printed. Later, all the articles were republished in book form. Unfortunately, the ratification vote in New York failed and New Yorkers only were able to ratify the Constitution after the state of New Hampshire cast the ninth and final ratification vote necessary to approve the Constitution and make it the official plan of government. The Federalist papers should also be considered in the context in which they were written. The Revolutionary Era was characterized as a time when our country was searching for security from foreign nations, for peace in America, and for individual freedoms. These values, it was hoped, could be achieved by united action. The Framers of the Constitution and authors of The Federalist Papers had to convince the American people that these values were important and not dangerous. Today, it seems a little strange that Americans were hesitant about accepting beliefs that we now consider our core American values. Nevertheless, at the time the Federalist papers were written, individual freedoms were cause for genuine concerns and problems for many Americans. 7 Publius – this pseudonym referred to Publius Valerius Publicola, a great defender of the ancient Roman Republic. American Studies Mr. Carlson The Federalist Papers Short Summary: In 1787 and 1788, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison published eighty- five essays on the proposed U.S. Constitution and the nature of republican government. Each article explains the Founding Fathers’ reasoning and intended purposes for the document that governs the United States of America today. Together, the papers present a clear explanation of the federal system and the means of attaining the ideals of justice, general welfare, and rights of the individual. Although Hamilton carefully outlined the contents of The Federalist Papers at the end of the first essay, in reality, he strayed a bit from his original plan. In the end, the work of Madison and Hamilton can be divided into two principle parts; the first discussing the defects of the present government, the Articles of Confederation, and the second discussing the new Constitution’s different components – the legislature, executive, and judicial branches. The Federalist Papers was written in order to secure the ratification of a constitution providing for a more perfect union. Throughout the papers, the idea of a more perfect union takes center stage. In general, the Federalist papers explain federalism as a way to achieve free government in peace and security and show how the Articles of Confederation could not provide these goals for the country. Five basic themes can be determined from the words of Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, including federalism, checks and balances, separated powers, pluralism, and representation. Although they deal with different parts of the government these themes are fairly consistent throughout the papers. Madison later became a strong defender of states’ rights and Hamilton, still a strong Federalist, became his main political opponent. But the essays are consistent in showing all sides of the arguments for and against the proposed Constitution. American Studies Mr. Carlson Name ___________________________ Period ______ 1. What motivated the authors of the Federalist papers to write the 85 essays that appeared in newspapers throughout New York in late 1787 and 1788? 2. Why were states like New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Virginia so important in the debate over the Constitution? 3. Why were most Anti-Federalists opposed to the new Constitution? 4. If you were an Anti-Federalist, why were you most likely to support a "rewriting" of the Articles of the Confederation? American Studies Mr. Carlson 5. Hamilton’s propaganda plan included "a sustained barrage of arguments appearing in newspapers." What is a "barrage of arguments"? 6. In your opinion, why was this approach used? 7. Were the Federalists Papers successful in achieving the goal for which they were written? Why or why not? Hint - your answer is correct as long as you've convincingly defended it! 8. What purpose do the Federalist Papers serve today? .
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