The Federalist Papers
By James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay
1787-1788
Soon after the American colonies declared their Independence from Britain, the "Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union" were drafted to serve as the bonding document between the newly formed United States. But the confederation was weak, which necessitated the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America.
The Constitutional Convention was a heated affair, with great and learned debate about how the new constitution should be structured. Once drafted, at least nine state legislatures had to ratify it. Madison, Hamilton, and Jay, in an effort to persuade the voters of New York and other states of the importance of ratification, wrote a series of papers explaining and defending the new constitution.
To this day, The Federalist Papers, written under the pseudonym "Publius," remain the most definitive resource for legal and historic scholars in search of the original intent of our Constitution.
No. 1: General Introduction
No. 2: Concerning Dangers from Foreign Force and Influence
No. 3: The Same Subject Continued (Concerning Dangers From Foreign Force and Influence)
No. 4: The Same Subject Continued (Concerning Dangers From Foreign Force and Influence)
No. 5: The Same Subject Continued (Concerning Dangers From Foreign Force and Influence)
No. 6: Concerning Dangers from Dissensions Between the States
No. 7: The Same Subject Continued (Concerning Dangers from Dissensions Between the States)
No. 8: The Consequences of Hostilities Between the States
No. 9: The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection
No. 10: The Same Subject Continued (The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection)
No. 11: The Utility of the Union in Respect to Commercial Relations and a Navy
No. 12: The Utility of the Union In Respect to Revenue
No. 13: Advantage of the Union in Respect to Economy in Government
No. 14: Objections to the Proposed Constitution From Extent of Territory Answered
No. 15: The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union
No. 16: The Same Subject Continued (The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union)
No. 17: The Same Subject Continued (The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union)
No. 18: The Same Subject Continued (The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union)
No. 19: The Same Subject Continued (The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union)
No. 20: The Same Subject Continued (The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union)
No. 21: Other Defects of the Present Confederation
No. 22: The Same Subject Continued (Other Defects of the Present Confederation)
No. 23: The Necessity of a Government as Energetic as the One Proposed to the Preservation of the Union
No. 24: The Powers Necessary to the Common Defense Further Considered
No. 25: The Same Subject Continued (The Powers Necessary to the Common Defense Further Considered)
No. 26: The Idea of Restraining the Legislative Authority in Regard to the Common Defense Considered
No. 29: Concerning the Militia
No. 30: Concerning the General Power of Taxation
No. 31: The Same Subject Continued (Concerning the General Power of Taxation)
No. 32: The Same Subject Continued (Concerning the General Power of Taxation)
No. 33: The Same Subject Continued (Concerning the General Power of Taxation)
No. 34: The Same Subject Continued (Concerning the General Power of Taxation)
No. 35: The Same Subject Continued (Concerning the General Power of Taxation)
No. 36: The Same Subject Continued (Concerning the General Power of Taxation)
No. 37: Concerning the Difficulties of the Convention in Devising a Proper Form of Government
No. 38: The Same Subject Continued, and the Incoherence of the Objections to the New Plan Exposed
No. 39: The Conformity of the Plan to Republican Principles
No. 40: On the Powers of the Convention to Form a Mixed Government Examined and Sustained
No. 41: General View of the Powers Conferred by The Constitution
No. 42: The Powers Conferred by the Constitution Further Considered
No. 43: The Same Subject Continued (The Powers Conferred by the Constitution Further Considered)
No. 44: Restrictions on the Authority of the Several States
No. 45: The Alleged Danger From the Powers of the Union to the State Governments
No. 46: The Influence of the State and Federal Governments Compared
No. 50: Periodical Appeals to the People Considered
No. 52: The House of Representatives
No. 53: The Same Subject Continued (The House of Representatives)
No. 54: The Apportionment of Members Among the States
No. 55: The Total Number of the House of Representatives
No. 56: The Same Subject Continued (The Total Number of the House of Representatives)
No. 58: Objection That The Number of Members Will Not Be Augmented as the Progress of Population Demands
No. 59: Concerning the Power of Congress to Regulate the Election of Members
No. 60: The Same Subject Continued (Concerning the Power of Congress to Regulate the Election of Members)
No. 61: The Same Subject Continued (Concerning the Power of Congress to Regulate the Election of Members)
No. 62: The Senate
No. 63: The Senate Continued
No. 64: The Powers of the Senate
No. 65: The Powers of the Senate Continued
No. 66: Objections to the Power of the Senate To Set as a Court for Impeachments Further Considered
No. 67: The Executive Department
No. 68: The Mode of Electing the President
No. 69: The Real Character of the Executive
No. 70: The Executive Department Further Considered
No. 71: The Duration in Office of the Executive
No. 72: The Same Subject Continued, and Re-Eligibility of the Executive Considered
No. 73: The Provision For The Support of the Executive, and the Veto Power
No. 74: The Command of the Military and Naval Forces, and the Pardoning Power of the Executive
No. 75: The Treaty-Making Power of the Executive
No. 76: The Appointing Power of the Executive
No. 77: The Appointing Power Continued and Other Powers of the Executive Considered
No. 78: The Judiciary Department
No. 79: The Judiciary Continued
No. 80: The Powers of the Judiciary
No. 81: The Judiciary Continued, and the Distribution of the Judicial Authority
No. 82: The Judiciary Continued
No. 83: The Judiciary Continued in Relation to Trial by Jury
No. 84: Certain General and Miscellaneous Objections to the Constitution Considered and Answered
No. 85: Concluding Remarks
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