The Federalist, No. 10, by James Madison is a clear expression of views and policies for a new government. Madison was a strong supporter and member of the Federalists whose main beliefs favored the Constitution. They also believed that the Articles of Confederation needed to be rewritten so that a new central government would control the power of the states.
Constitution of United States was written in 1787 at Philadelphia convention. It is stated in article VII that the constitution needs to be accepted formally by nine out of thirteen states before it could be legally used. A big debate started whether the constitution should be ratified or not, dividing people into two groups federalists (supported ratification) and anti-Federalists (did not support ratification). Both groups had their own claims and arguments, federalists wanted a large heterogenous republic whereas anti-Federalists fought for homogeneous one. Federalists consisted of mostly rich, powerful gentry in favor of strong centralized government. Well educated influential leaders like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were in
The Constitution of the United States was created on September 17, 1787, but not everyone agreed that it should become the law of the land. Authors of the Constitution, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, published The Federalist Papers to promote ratification of the Constitution by the States. The Federalist were committed to ensuring the Constitution was ratified. However, they were not without opposition. The Anti-Federalist opposed the Constitution and believed that it would cause the new union to fail. Anti-Federalist were politicians and businessmen such as George Mason, Patrick Henry and John Winthrop, but there were many farmers and common people among the group. Their primary objections to the Constitution was that it weakened the State governments, that it lacked a Bill of Rights and that it protected the wealthy at the expense of ordinary Americans.
He looked at the common people in a very negative light. He thought they were easily led, irrational and prone to be fooled by demagoguery. In other words the people have to be restricted for their own good. They were incapable of governing themselves. Alexander Hamilton felt exactly the same way. He was cynical in the ability of the few educated man to “succumb to revolutionary excesses, he found it "almost impossible among the unthinking populace.” Leaving the affairs of government in the hands of the people would surely lead to mayhem . Throughout his life, Alexander Hamilton “exhibited the same mistrust in the abilities of ordinary persons to govern themselves without descending into anarchy.” Like many, He saw Shay’s rebellion as "the excess of democracy”;. In Hamilton 's eyes the issue of leaving all that power in the hands of the will cripple the entire nation. Hamilton became infuriated by Congress ' lack of authority under the Articles of Confederation and used Shays ' Rebellion to advocate for a stronger the national government. Notably absent from the Philadelphia Convention was Thomas Jefferson . Jefferson and Hamilton were archrival and had opposing views in most everything . Jefferson was always on the side of individual liberty, he thought that Shay’s rebellion was justified. He believed that in order to have a true democracy it is necessary for people to protest every now and then. Jefferson tells Madison “loftily from Paris”: “I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.” He was against a big and strong central
George Mason had the most impact upon the creation and ideas contained within the United States constitution. He was appointed delegate in 1786 and served from May to September 1787; he was one of the most frequent speakers. Since the beginning George Mason was a strong supporter of bicameral legislature and wanted the election of United States senators by state legislatures. In July 1787, Mason proposed for a national executive having only one person who would be chosen for seven years by the national legislature without a second term. He argued that the House of Representatives was not truly representative of the people and that the United States senate had too much power. Also, he was against the powers of the federal judiciary arguing that
Madison was one of the first delegates to arrive in Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention. Madison proposed a government with strong central powers, including a national judiciary and an elected national executive, and with authority to veto legislation of individual states. Primarily, Madison sought to provide the central government "with positive and complete autho...
As a young child and throughout his entire life, Hamilton was known for his brilliance. Hamilton was unbelievably smart and he showed this through his several published writings. The writing he authorized were all very important to America, and without them, our world could be flipped completely opposite. Alexander Hamilton is in charge of 60% of all writings that make up The Federalist Papers. The Federalist Papers are, “A series of eighty-five essays urging the citizens of New York to ratify the new United States Constitution. Written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, the essays originally appeared anonymously in New York newspapers in 1787 and 1788.” says www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/federalist.html. Hamilton’s writings were immaculate and really brought fame upon
In the 1787, delegates from all states, except Rhode Island, went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to strengthen the Articles of Confederation in the Constitutional Convention. The Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention, the Federal Convention, and the Grand Convention (from May 14th to September 17th), was a conference that reflected on crucial alterations for the Articles of Confederation. Equally important, the Constitutional Convention was the origin of the United States Constitution. Therefore, the result of the meeting would impact the whole nation, as well as the nation’s survivability.
Alexander Hamilton was the architect of the federalist papers and much of the financial structure of America. He was only reluctantly admitted to the rule of the great American thinkers. His prominence as a primary nationalist and financial visionary in the post-revolutionary were truly uncovered in the middle of the twentieth century. Historical evidence points to him being Christian and saying: “I have carefully examined the evidences of the Christian religion, and if I was sitting as a juror upon its authenticity I would unhesitatingly give my verdict in its favor. I can prove its truth as clearly as any proposition ever submitted to the mind of man.” ("Alexander Hamilton") Historians started to reassess his success. He is preeminently recalled as an opinionated advocate of a solid central government for his composition of the Federalist papers which were used to persuade Americans to ratify the new constitution. His other achievements make his entire political career hard to comprehend. He was critiqued for his egotism just as much as his intelligence and determination.
Not all American people were a fan of the Constitution. There were many flaws with the proposed Constitution that turned people off of the document. George Clinton was one of the people who disliked the Constitution immensely. Clinton wrote a paper, under a pseudonym, entitled “An Attack on the Proposed Federal Constitution”, in which he further explained his beliefs. Clinton, dubbed an “antifederalist”, believed the country would fail with one government controlling all of the power. James Madison took his paper seriously enough to write his own in response to Clinton. George Clinton mainly focused on the suggested republican government and quoting philosophers to make his paper sound more legitimate,
Everyone has heard the name Alexander Hamilton, but few are familiar with his views and actions regarding the survival of the young American republic. He could be recognized for anything from serving our fledgling country by fighting in the New York militia; to serving his community as a lawyer and as a national tax agent; to beginning his political career as a representative for New York at the National Congress. Though most would agree his most important contribution to our struggling republic was to spearhead the project which formed the doctrine helping to establish the foundation in which modern democracy is based, the Articles of Confederation.
The Anti-Federalist Party, led by Patrick Henry, objected to the constitution. They objected to it for a few basic reasons. Mostly the Anti-Federalists thought that the Constitution created too strong a central government. They felt that the Constitution did not create a Federal government, but a single national government. They were afraid that the power of the states would be lost and that the people would lose their individual rights because a few individuals would take over. They proposed a “Bill of Rights”, to make sure the citizens were protected by the law. They believed that no Bill of Rights would be equal to no check on our government for the people.
The meeting in Philadelphia was successful, it is known as the Constitutional Conventional. James Madison went to the meeting in Philadelphia it was his idea to create the United States in a republican model. The people would have the power in the form of representatives. Madison and his fellow Virginians came up with the details and a plan for the new government, it was known as the Virginia Plan. And Madison became known as the father of the constitution.
Some historical circumstances surrounding the issue of the ratification of the Constitution was weakness of the new government under the Articles of Confederation which led to the Constitutional Convention. Members of Congress believed that the Articles of Confederation, the first government of the United States, needed to be altered while others did not want change. This desired Constitution created a huge dispute and argument between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The people who supported the new Constitution, the Federalists, began to publish articles supporting ratification. As stated in document 2 John Jay (Federalist) had many arguments to support ratification of the Constitution. One argument John Jay used was, with the ratification of the Constitution, he says, “…Our people free, contented and united…” The Antifederalists had numerous arguments they used to oppose the ratification of the Constitution. The Antifederalists believed that a free republic wouldn’t be able to long exist over a country of the great extent of these states.
James Madison was no stranger to opposition. In publishing an essay referred to today as Federalist Essay No. 10, Madison participated in a persuasive attempt to ratify the Constitution, a document he drafted and for which he is credited as its “Father”. Along with John Jay, who became the United States’ first Supreme Court Chief Justice, and Alexander Hamilton, who became the first Secretary of the Treasury, Madison articulates in his writing the necessity of the Constitution as a remedy for the extant ills of an infant nation recently freed from the grasp of distant monarchical rule. This young nation faltered under the first endeavor of organized government, the Articles of Confederation. The Articles were designed during a period of emerging