The Federalist Papers Facts & Worksheets

The Federalist Papers facts and information activity worksheet pack and fact file. Includes 5 activities aimed at students 11-14 years old (KS3) & 5 activities aimed at students 14-16 year old (GCSE). Great for home study or to use within the classroom environment.

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Table of Contents
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    Summary

    • The constitutional convention
    • Rise of the pseudonym Publius
    • Key ideas of the Federalist Papers
    • Influence of the Federalist Papers on constitutional debates

    Key Facts And Information

    Overview

    • The Federalist Papers is a collection of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay under the pseudonym “Publius”, in which they argued for the ratification of the Constitution. In 1787, the Constitution had been debated and drafted during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, and then later presented to the states for ratification. The Federalist papers were considered to be among the most significant contribution to the field of political philosophy and theory. These papers are presently useful to determine the intent of the framers in matters concerning the constitutional interpretation.

    The Constitutional Convention

    • The Articles of Confederation, which outlined the law of the country, were ratified in 1781. They resulted in an inefficient federal government since they lacked power to regulate interstate commerce, tax collection and foreign policy.
    • Shay’s rebellion of the farmers of Massachusetts in 1786 demanded an end to unjust economic practices and political corruption, which demonstrated the inability of the federal government to foster internal security and stability.
    • There was a consensus that efforts to strengthen the federal government were a must. Therefore, 55 delegates from 12 states convened in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787. Initially, the delegates were required to come up with proposals for amending the articles, but later went on to overhaul the entire constitution.
    • After the convention had fulfilled their intended obligation, the document was presented to the states for ratification, with opposition coming from Massachusetts, New York and Virginia over the proposed structure.

    Rise Of The Pseudonym Publius

    • Opposition to the Constitution was strong in the state of New York. Anti-federalists started to write and publish essays that expressed their criticism towards the Constitution, specifically arguing that it gave too much power to Congress. For them, this meant losing hard-fought victories for freedom that they had gained during the American Revolution.
    • Alexander Hamilton wrote a series of essays as a way to explain the need for the Constitution and to promote its ratification. He was supported by a fellow New Yorker and secretary of foreign affairs, John Jay. They also sought the help of James Madison, who was serving at that time in the Confederation Congress in New York.
    • Alexander Hamilton wrote his first essay on October 17th, 1787. He used the pseudonym Publius, referencing a Roman aristocrat who overthrew the monarch and helped establish the Roman Republic. This was one way for the federalists to address the weakness of the monarchical structure of England.
    • The Federalist Papers were published in the Independent Journal, the New York Packet and The Daily Advertiser in 1787. The first 77 essays were compiled in a book and published by J & A McLean in March and May 1788. The last 8 essays were re-published from June to August 1788.

    Key Ideas Of The Federalist Papers

    • The Federalist Papers were intended as a series of papers or essays to be published in New York newspapers, but they expanded into a collection of 85 essays, published as volumes in March and May 1788. In the 20th century, they came to be known as the Federalist Papers. The primary objective of the collection of essays was to promote the sufficiency of the Constitution to address concerns of a strong central government vis-a-vis state powers.
    • ON FACTIONS AND INTERESTS
      • Federalist No. 10 was considered as the most important essay from a philosophical viewpoint. It highlighted the inevitability of factions since they are part of human nature. It discussed means to prevent rule by majority factions.
    • ON EXTENDED REPUBLIC
      • Madison argued in Federalist No. 14 that an extended republic was suitable in the context of the United States despite its huge size. He explained the composition of the Union having both federal and state governments.
    • ON BEING A “FEDERAL” NATION
      • In Federalist No. 39, Madison argued for the case of the United States being a “federal” nation. He also explained what constitutes a republic, emphasising that citizens elect representatives to make decisions for them.
    • ON CHECKS AND BALANCES
      • Checks and balances in the federal government were the main focus of Federalist No. 51, where Madison advocated to prevent usurpations. Also, the document advances the idea of the separation of powers within government.
    • ON BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT
      • Alexander Hamilton brought the case for a one-man chief executive and the executive power in Federalist No. 70. Also, he laid the foundation for the doctrine of judicial review of the federal courts in Federalist No. 78.
    • ON BILL OF RIGHTS
      • Opposition towards amending the Constitution for the inclusion of the Bill of Rights was expressed by Hamilton in Federalist No. 84. He argued that the provisions in the Constitution were enough to safeguard people’s rights.

    Impact Of The Federalist Papers On Debates

    • The essays in The Federalist Papers were purposefully written in support of the ratification of the proposed Constitution. Much effort was poured into New York, since only 19 Federalists were elected to the state’s Constitutional convention against 47 Anti-Federalists.
    • Virginia became the tenth state to ratify the Constitution, and put New York under pressure to do the same. There was a lack of support for Federalists, which put the State’s ratification of the Constitution into question.
    • Only a slim majority of New York delegates at the convention ratified the Constitution, with the condition that the Bill of Rights must be included. The Federalist Papers “failed” in the sense that they did not sway New York voters to elect delegates who would fully support the Constitution’s ratification.

    Image sources:

    [1.] https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Alexander_Hamilton_portrait_by_John_Trumbull_1806.jpg

    [2.] https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/JamesMadison.jpg