Category — Federalist

We know a lot about what the Founders thought and the philosophical views they had because of their prolific letter writing and extensive chronicling of events. Those who dig into this wealth of material will begin to understand what set them apart and what the founding principles really were.   Read the rest of this entry »

Federalist No. 8 is another essay in which Hamilton argues for maintaining the Union (and ratification of the Constitution as the best means of doing so.) In it he depicts the likelihood of hostilities between separate states or confederacies and the consequent curtailment of liberty.   Read the rest of this entry »

Federalist No. 7 is another Hamilton authored essay arguing for Union and against separate State sovereignties or confederacies. It is a continuation of previous arguments in Nos. 5 and 6.   Read the rest of this entry »

After a brief respite, Hamilton resumes his arguments on behalf of the ratification. In Federalist No. 6 he continues Jay's arguments for the increased security offered by Union. Hamilton engages in a history lesson for his readers to support his contentions.   Read the rest of this entry »

Federalist No. 5 is nearly the last of John Jay's contribution to this project. In it he continues his arguments against the formation of multiple confederacies or bordering nation states in favor of the advantages of having one strong union. He cites interesting examples from the history of Britain and Europe to make his point. Perhaps most interesting is his near clairvoyance in describing what would come to pass in the American civil war.   Read the rest of this entry »

Federalist No. 4 is a continuation of John Jay's arguments for consolidation of the federal government and the increased security derived from it. There is an interesting bit about the predilections of absolute monarchs that are still relevant today.   Read the rest of this entry »

Federalist No. 3 is another one of John Jay's contributions and is a continuation of his arguments for strong union. His argument in this essay is that the stronger and more unified America is, the safer it will be.   Read the rest of this entry »

A Goldwater Institute report describes a different sort of separatism threatening the Union that Jay and other Federalist writers envisioned.   Read the rest of this entry »

John Jay wrote Federalist No. 2, which provides a nice respite to Hamilton's more complicated prose. In it he discusses the, then radical proposition that everyone saw the importance of Union vs dis-Union.   Read the rest of this entry »

Federalist 83 singles out opposition to the new Constitution due to the lack of a clause requiring jury trials in civil cases. It is the final paper on the judiciary and the longest of the Federalist essays.   Read the rest of this entry »