Federalist - Raw History

Sign in Subscribe

Federalist

A collection of 19 posts

Human Nature is Against a Plurality in the Executive: Thoughts by Alexander Hamilton, Federalist 70

Human Nature is Against a Plurality in the Executive: Thoughts by Alexander Hamilton, Federalist 70

Men often oppose a thing merely because they have had no agency in planning it, or because it may have been planned by those whom they dilike.

Energy in the Executive: Thoughts by Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 70

Energy in the Executive: Thoughts by Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 70

A feeble execution is but another phrase for a bad execution; and a government ill executed, whatever it may be in theory, must be, in practice, a bad government.

The Necessity of Virtue among the People as a Safeguard of Good Government. Thoughts by James Madison, Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 20, 1788.

The Necessity of Virtue among the People as a Safeguard of Good Government. Thoughts by James Madison, Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 20, 1788.

Is there no virtue among us? If there be not, we are in a wretched situation.

Suffrage and Majority Rule: Thoughts by James Madison, 1829.

Suffrage and Majority Rule: Thoughts by James Madison, 1829.

The essence of government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.

The People, The States, The Federal Government & Militias: Thoughts by James Madison, Federalist 46.

The People, The States, The Federal Government & Militias: Thoughts by James Madison, Federalist 46.

Let us not insult the free and gallant citizens of America with the suspicion, that they would be less able to defend the rights of which they would be in actual possession, than the debased subjects of arbitrary power would be to rescue theirs from the hands of their oppressors.

Three Species of Government: Thoughts by James Madison, February 20, 1792.

Three Species of Government: Thoughts by James Madison, February 20, 1792.

Such a government, wherever to be found, is an imposter.

"A Signal Advantage of Taxes on Articles of Consumption." Thoughts by Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 21, Dec. 12, 1787.

"A Signal Advantage of Taxes on Articles of Consumption." Thoughts by Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 21, Dec. 12, 1787.

After postulating that the Articles of Confederation committed a “fundamental error” in “principle” by attempting to regulate “the contributions of the States to the common treasury by QUOTAS,” Hamilton opined about the difficulty in determining a “common standard or barometer” by which the degrees of national wealth can be gauged.

The Nature of the Union: Patrick Henry answered by James Madison and analyzed by Jefferson Davis.

Anti Federalist

The Nature of the Union: Patrick Henry answered by James Madison and analyzed by Jefferson Davis.

What exactly is the nature of the government framed by the Constitution . . . a confederation of sovereign states or a consolidated nation of "we the people"? Many in the founding generation, like Patrick Henry, worried that the proposed constitution of 1787 was intended to and would result in a

What "parties" showed up at the Constitutional Convention? Analysis by participant, Luther Martin

What "parties" showed up at the Constitutional Convention? Analysis by participant, Luther Martin

Luther Martin (1748-1826) served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention from Maryland. He opposed the idea of creating a strong central government and constantly sided with the "small" states against the "large" states in their disputes over proportional representation versus equal representation. He supported having

The Nature of the Union under the Proposed Constitution: Thoughts by Samuel Tenney, 1788, Writing as "Alfredus."

The Nature of the Union under the Proposed Constitution: Thoughts by Samuel Tenney, 1788, Writing as "Alfredus."

It is always central to historical literacy to apprehend how the generations who lived through and/or forged major historical events understood the various issues of such momentous times. The history surrounding the ratification of the Constitution of the United States is of particular interest since, over time, parties have

Reserved and Delegated Constitutional Powers: Thoughts by James Wilson, 6 October 1787.

Reserved and Delegated Constitutional Powers: Thoughts by James Wilson, 6 October 1787.

When the 1787 Constitution was conveyed to the States for consideration, many arguments erupted between those who favored and those who opposed ratification of the document. One of the first arguments to garner attention was the absence of a bill of rights in the Constitution. James Wilson addressed this issue

The General Welfare Clause of Article I, Section 8, U.S. Constitution: Thoughts by Thomas Jefferson, 1817

The General Welfare Clause of Article I, Section 8, U.S. Constitution: Thoughts by Thomas Jefferson, 1817

On June 16, 1817, Thomas Jefferson penned a letter to Albert Gallatin addressing what he termed the "only landmark which now divides the federalists from the republicans." The landmark dealt with the interpretation of the phrase "to lay taxes, to pay the debts, and to provide for

James Madison: Thoughts from Federalist 37, Select Quotes

James Madison: Thoughts from Federalist 37, Select Quotes

The Federalist Papers were written, primarily by James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, to both advocate for and sell the Constitution of 1787, and counter the arguments of the Anti-Federalists, so-called. The Federalist Papers give unique insights into the processes that produced the Constitution of the United States and unpack a

The Constitution without a Bill of Rights: Thoughts by Roger Sherman, November 22, 1787

The Constitution without a Bill of Rights: Thoughts by Roger Sherman, November 22, 1787

When the Constitutional Convention had done its work and the Constitution was conveyed to the several States for consideration, some rose to support and others to oppose the document via convention debates, newspaper editorials and the like. In general, supporters were known as Federalists and opponents Anti-Federalists. One Anti-Federalist criticism

Representation in the House: Thoughts by Fisher Ames, 1788

Representation in the House: Thoughts by Fisher Ames, 1788

In the Massachusetts Convention, 15 January 1788, as the provision of the Constitution were being reviewed and debated, some felt that election to the House should be an annual affair as a safeguard for the people's liberty. Fisher Ames defended the Constitutional provision for a biennial election in

Federalist No. 10: An Analysis

Federalist No. 10: An Analysis

Federalist No. 10 was written by James Madison in November 1787 and was a continuation of Federalist No. 9, written by Alexander Hamilton. The theme of both numbers was “The Utility of the Union as a Safeguard against Domestic Factions and Insurrection.” What follows is an analysis of Federalist No.

MORTAL FEUDS VS. INTRIGUES OF INCONSIDERABLE FACTIONS: ALEXANDER HAMILTON

MORTAL FEUDS VS. INTRIGUES OF INCONSIDERABLE FACTIONS: ALEXANDER HAMILTON

In "Federalist 16," Alexander Hamilton draws a distinction between the "intrigues of an inconsiderable faction," which can be handled by a state's magistracy, and "mortal feuds." This is a short but interesting read. August Glen-James, editor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > It is in vain

James Madison on the Character of the Government (Federalist 39)

James Madison on the Character of the Government (Federalist 39)

When the Constitution became available for scrutiny in the Fall of 1787, pointed criticism of the document began to arise. The Constitution's critics became known as Anti-Federalists and its supporters, Federalists. The most prominent Federalist writers were James Madison and Alexander Hamilton--who were the principle authors of the

James Madison on Restraining Government from Oppressive Matters

The Federalist Papers were a series of articles written in defense of the Constitution and intended to facilitate its adoption by the several states. Though writing under the pseudonym Publius, we have leaned the the main authors were James Madison and Alexander Hamilton. James Madison, in Federalist 57, has an