Why The Federalist Papers?
Following adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the 13 colonies of the struggling new nation found themselves in desperate need of a mutually beneficial agreement that would establish the union of its member states, "a plan of confederacy for securing the freedom, sovereignty, and independence of the United States."
The Second Continental Congress appointed a committee to draft the document that became the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union (“Articles of Confederation”, “the Articles”) and sent the draft to the states for ratification in November 1777. The ratification process was completed in March 1781, federating the sovereign and independent states into a new confederation called the "The United States of America".
There were those, however, who felt that the Articles lacked the necessary provisions for a sufficiently effective government and that the Articles were too weak to hold the fast-growing nation together. This group believed a federation was needed to replace the confederation, and the members of the group came to be known as “federalists.”
In May, 1787, a Constitutional Convention was convened in Philadelphia. A new Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787 and ratified by conventions in each U.S. state in the name of "The People". The United States Constitution is the oldest written constitution still in use by any nation in the world.
What makes this document so exceptional? What were the founding fathers thinking? What was their intent and purpose?
Realizing that New York’s ratification of the new Constitution was necessary and that the vote would be close, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote a series of 85 essays that were published in various New York publications. Their essays explained why this type of government was the best choice for the United States of America and urged the State’s ratification of the Constitution. (New York’s ratification passed by only three votes, 30-27.) These essays are known as The Federalist Papers and provide the best understanding of the original intent of the Constitution’s framers.
