Alexander Hamilton

The Federalist Papers: a Collection of Essays Written in Favour of the New Constitution Alexander Hamilton

Publisher Marketing:"The Federalist Papers" are a collection of eighty-five articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in favor of ratifying the United States Constitution. First appearing in 1787 as a series of letters to New York newspapers, this collective body of work is widely considered to be among the most important historical collections of all time. Although the authors of "The Federalist Papers" foremost intended to influence the vote in favor of ratifying the Constitution, in Federalist No. 1 Hamilton explicitly set their debate in broader political terms. "It has been frequently remarked," he wrote, "that it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country, by their conduct and example, to decide the important question, whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force." Among the many highlights of these acclaimed essays is Federalist No. 10, in which Madison discusses the means of preventing rule by majority faction and advocates for a large, commercial republic. This is generally regarded as the most important of the eighty-five essays from a philosophical perspective, and it is complemented by Federalist No. 14, in which Madison takes the measure of the United States, declares it appropriate for an extended republic, and concludes with a memorable defense of the Constitution. In Federalist No. 70, Hamilton advocates for a one-man chief executive, and in Federalist No. 78 he persuasively lays the groundwork for the doctrine of judicial review by federal courts. Though centuries old, these timeless essays remain the benchmark of American political philosophy. As eloquently stated by famed historian Richard B. Morris, "The Federalist Papers" serve as an "incomparable exposition of the Constitution, a classic in political science unsurpassed in both breadth and depth by the product of any later American writer." Contributor Bio:  Madison, James James Neal Madison also is the painter of the lithograph, The Highland Charge at Drummossie Muir, Battle of Culloden, April 16, 1746. Published by Pelican, this vivid, full-color print is in its second edition printing. Contributor Bio:  Jay, John Review The Federalist Papers are a series of 85 articles advocating the ratification of the United States Constitution. Seventy-seven of the essays were published serially in The Independent Journal and The New York Packet between October 1787 and August 1788. A compilation of these and eight others, called The Federalist; or, The New Constitution, was published in two volumes in 1788 by J. and A. McLean. The series' correct title is The Federalist; the title The Federalist Papers did not emerge until the twentieth century. The Federalist remains a primary source for interpretation of the U. S. Constitution. According to historian Richard B. Morris, they are an "incomparable exposition of the Constitution, a classic in political science unsurpassed in both breadth and depth by the product of any later American writer." At the time of publication, the authorship of the articles was a closely-guarded secret, though astute observers guessed that Hamilton, Madison, and Jay were the likely authors. Following Hamilton's death in 1804, a list that he drew up became public; it claimed fully two-thirds of the essays for Hamilton, including some that seemed more likely the work of Madison (Nos. 49-58, 62, and 63). The scholarly detective work of Douglass Adair in 1944 postulated the following assignments of authorship, confirmed in 1964 by a computer analysis of the text: - Alexander Hamilton (51 articles: nos. 1, 6-9, 11-13, 15-17, 21-36, 59-61, and 65-85) - James Madison (29 articles: nos. 10, 14, 37-58 and 62-63) - John Jay (5 articles: 2-5 and 64). - Nos. 18-20 were the result of a collaboration between Madison and Hamilton.