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The Federalist Papers & Anti-Federalist Papers: Complete Edition of the Pivotal Constitution Debate: Foundations of America's Democratic Evolution
How the Constitutional Debate changed the old political system and shaped the very core of American democracy – This meticulously created collection contains the old laws of the country and the constitutional changes made after the Revolution, together with the arguments of Founding Fathers about the crucial decisions which shaped the America we know today: government resting on the people, executive power status, election organization, defense, taxation, powers of the Union, the judiciary, senate... By reading their words you will have a clear understanding how this debate influenced our present and created the American democracy:
Need for Stronger Union
Federalist Papers: I, II, III, IV, V, VI
Anti-Federalist Papers: John Dewitt I&II
Bill of Rights
Federalist: LXXXIV
Anti-Federalist: John Dewitt II
Nature and Powers of the Union
Federalist: I, XIV, XV
Anti-Federalist: Patrick Henry
Responsibility and Checks in Self-government
Federalist: X, LI
Anti-Federalist: Centenel I
Extent of Union, States' Rights, Bill of Rights, Taxation
Federalist: X, XXXII, XXXIII, XXXV…
Anti-Federalist: Brutus I
Extended Republics
Federalist: VII, X, XIV, XXXV, XXXVI
Anti-Federalist: Federal Farmer I&II
Broad Construction, Taxing Powers
Federalist: XXIII, XXX, XXXI, XXXII…..
Anti-Federalist: Brutus VI
Defense, Standing Armies
Federalist: XXIV, XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII, XXIX
Anti-Federalist: Brutus X
The Judiciary
Federalist: LXXVIII, LXXIX, LXXX, LXXXI, LXXXII, LXXXIII
Anti-Federalist: Brutus XI, XII, XV
Government Resting on the People
Federalist: XXIII, XLIX
Anti-Federalist: John Dewitt III
Executive Power
Federalist: LXVII
Anti-Federalist: Cato V
Regulating Elections
Federalist: LIX
Anti-Federalist: Cato VII
House of Representatives
Federalist: XXVII, XXVIII, LII, LIII, LIV, LVII
Anti-Federalist: Brutus IV
The Senate
Federalist: LXII, LXIII
Anti-Federalist: Brutus XVI
Articles of Confederation (1777)
Declaration of Independence
Need for Stronger Union
Federalist Papers: I, II, III, IV, V, VI
Anti-Federalist Papers: John Dewitt I&II
Bill of Rights
Federalist: LXXXIV
Anti-Federalist: John Dewitt II
Nature and Powers of the Union
Federalist: I, XIV, XV
Anti-Federalist: Patrick Henry
Responsibility and Checks in Self-government
Federalist: X, LI
Anti-Federalist: Centenel I
Extent of Union, States' Rights, Bill of Rights, Taxation
Federalist: X, XXXII, XXXIII, XXXV…
Anti-Federalist: Brutus I
Extended Republics
Federalist: VII, X, XIV, XXXV, XXXVI
Anti-Federalist: Federal Farmer I&II
Broad Construction, Taxing Powers
Federalist: XXIII, XXX, XXXI, XXXII…..
Anti-Federalist: Brutus VI
Defense, Standing Armies
Federalist: XXIV, XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII, XXIX
Anti-Federalist: Brutus X
The Judiciary
Federalist: LXXVIII, LXXIX, LXXX, LXXXI, LXXXII, LXXXIII
Anti-Federalist: Brutus XI, XII, XV
Government Resting on the People
Federalist: XXIII, XLIX
Anti-Federalist: John Dewitt III
Executive Power
Federalist: LXVII
Anti-Federalist: Cato V
Regulating Elections
Federalist: LIX
Anti-Federalist: Cato VII
House of Representatives
Federalist: XXVII, XXVIII, LII, LIII, LIV, LVII
Anti-Federalist: Brutus IV
The Senate
Federalist: LXII, LXIII
Anti-Federalist: Brutus XVI
Articles of Confederation (1777)
Declaration of Independence
711 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 21, 2017
660 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
About the author
Alexander Hamilton
1,068 books962 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
American politician Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the treasury of United States from 1789 to 1795, established the national bank and public credit system; a duel with Aaron Burr, his rival, mortally wounded him.
One of the Founding Fathers, this economist and philosopher led calls for the convention at Philadelphia and as first Constitutional lawyer co-wrote the Federalist Papers , a primary source for Constitutional interpretation.
During the Revolutionary War, he, born in the West Indies but educated in the north, joined the militia, which chose him artillery captain. Hamilton, senior aide-de-camp and confidant to George Washington, general, led three battalions at the siege of Yorktown. People elected him to the Continental congress, but he resigned to practice law and to found in New York. He served in the legislature of New York and later returned to Congress; at the convention in Philadelphia, only he signed the Constitution for New York. Under Washington, then president, he influenced formative government policy widely. Hamilton, an admirer of British, emphasized strong central government and implied powers, under which the new Congress funded and assumed the debts and created an import tariff and whiskey tax.
A coalition, the formative Federalist Party, arose around Hamilton, and another coalition, the formative Democratic-Republican Party, arose around Thomas Jefferson and James Madison before 1792; these coalitions differed strongly over domestic fiscal goals and Hamiltonian foreign policy of extensive trade and friendly relations with Britain. Exposed in an affair with Maria Reynolds, Hamilton resigned to return to Constitutional law and advocacy of strong federalism. In 1798, the quasi-war with France led him to argue for an army, which he organized and commanded de facto.
Opposition of Hamilton to John Adams, fellow Federalist, contributed to the success of Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, in the uniquely deadlocked election of 1800. With defeat of his party, his industrializing ideas lost their former prominence. In 1801, Hamilton founded the Federalist broadsheet New-York Evening Post, now known as the New York Post. His intensity with the vice-president eventually resulted in his death.
After the war of 1812, Madison, Albert Gallatin, and other former opponents of the late Hamilton revived some of his federalizing programs, such as infrastructure, tariffs, and a standing Army and Navy. His Federalist and business-oriented economic visions for the country continue to influence party platforms to this day.
American politician Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the treasury of United States from 1789 to 1795, established the national bank and public credit system; a duel with Aaron Burr, his rival, mortally wounded him.
One of the Founding Fathers, this economist and philosopher led calls for the convention at Philadelphia and as first Constitutional lawyer co-wrote the Federalist Papers , a primary source for Constitutional interpretation.
During the Revolutionary War, he, born in the West Indies but educated in the north, joined the militia, which chose him artillery captain. Hamilton, senior aide-de-camp and confidant to George Washington, general, led three battalions at the siege of Yorktown. People elected him to the Continental congress, but he resigned to practice law and to found in New York. He served in the legislature of New York and later returned to Congress; at the convention in Philadelphia, only he signed the Constitution for New York. Under Washington, then president, he influenced formative government policy widely. Hamilton, an admirer of British, emphasized strong central government and implied powers, under which the new Congress funded and assumed the debts and created an import tariff and whiskey tax.
A coalition, the formative Federalist Party, arose around Hamilton, and another coalition, the formative Democratic-Republican Party, arose around Thomas Jefferson and James Madison before 1792; these coalitions differed strongly over domestic fiscal goals and Hamiltonian foreign policy of extensive trade and friendly relations with Britain. Exposed in an affair with Maria Reynolds, Hamilton resigned to return to Constitutional law and advocacy of strong federalism. In 1798, the quasi-war with France led him to argue for an army, which he organized and commanded de facto.
Opposition of Hamilton to John Adams, fellow Federalist, contributed to the success of Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, in the uniquely deadlocked election of 1800. With defeat of his party, his industrializing ideas lost their former prominence. In 1801, Hamilton founded the Federalist broadsheet New-York Evening Post, now known as the New York Post. His intensity with the vice-president eventually resulted in his death.
After the war of 1812, Madison, Albert Gallatin, and other former opponents of the late Hamilton revived some of his federalizing programs, such as infrastructure, tariffs, and a standing Army and Navy. His Federalist and business-oriented economic visions for the country continue to influence party platforms to this day.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 23, 2021
It is such a relief to be done with this one!
For this particular edition, it groups the letters by topic, with first the Federalist side followed by the Anti-Federalist side. It is a reasonable grouping. While there are end notes there is not any commentary, sometimes leaving questions about context for which a good guide can be helpful. Public education in my day only said that the Articles of Confederation were weak, without specifying in what ways or how the Constitution specifically addressed those weaknesses. (I do have a better idea on that now from Charles A. Beard.)
For the contents, generally I find the Federalist side more convincing, except for the defense of the lack of inclusion of a Bill of Rights. As that was the biggest change from the convention's initial results, that seems like it was an important discussion to have.
Otherwise, much of the Anti-Federalist arguments seems to fall along the side of "slippery slope" in the direction of the importance of state's rights. It would seem like a North South division, but from the authors who have been identified, that is not strictly true. For the concerns of aristocracy, there is no acknowledgement that they are all essentially in that position and like it that way.
Because really, ultimately they are debating about the best way to ensure the rights of white men. The only mention of what a woman might be allowed to do comes up with an example of contention over a widow's property, and authorizing her decisions. The racism is assumed, even though there were people against it then.
This is worth noting, because when the constitution fails today, it tends to fail along lines of bigotry as well, and because it still primarily works to sustain the privilege of white men, it is hard to repair.
For this particular edition, it groups the letters by topic, with first the Federalist side followed by the Anti-Federalist side. It is a reasonable grouping. While there are end notes there is not any commentary, sometimes leaving questions about context for which a good guide can be helpful. Public education in my day only said that the Articles of Confederation were weak, without specifying in what ways or how the Constitution specifically addressed those weaknesses. (I do have a better idea on that now from Charles A. Beard.)
For the contents, generally I find the Federalist side more convincing, except for the defense of the lack of inclusion of a Bill of Rights. As that was the biggest change from the convention's initial results, that seems like it was an important discussion to have.
Otherwise, much of the Anti-Federalist arguments seems to fall along the side of "slippery slope" in the direction of the importance of state's rights. It would seem like a North South division, but from the authors who have been identified, that is not strictly true. For the concerns of aristocracy, there is no acknowledgement that they are all essentially in that position and like it that way.
Because really, ultimately they are debating about the best way to ensure the rights of white men. The only mention of what a woman might be allowed to do comes up with an example of contention over a widow's property, and authorizing her decisions. The racism is assumed, even though there were people against it then.
This is worth noting, because when the constitution fails today, it tends to fail along lines of bigotry as well, and because it still primarily works to sustain the privilege of white men, it is hard to repair.
October 6, 2019
I don’t know if I’ve a read a more important book. If you have even the slightest passing interest in US history, this is a must read. It puts US history in context. I wish this had been a textbook for at least three of my US history classes.
November 2, 2023
LETS GO CIVICS!!! 🥳🥳🥳🤩
March 6, 2021
OK, how do you give five stars to something as prosaic as this book? Because, while we've all at least skimmed the Constitution and Declaration of Independence when we were in middle school, The Federalist Papers were one of those things that I've heard of, but didn't really know what they were. And especially after the craziness and divisiveness of the last four years, the idea of understanding what our form of government is really about - from a book written by the people who wrote and debated that founding structure - was more than a little intriguing. And, if you can get through a little bit of 1700's writing style, it's actually riveting! Why? Because The Federalist (and Anti-Federalist) Papers are the debate that our Founders engaged in, to persuade the people of the day as to why they should (or should not) ratify the Constitution. They shared all the same concerns and debates as to what constitutes good (and appropriate) government as we do today. As a Conservative, it really helped me answer the question, "What does it really mean to be a Conservative?" And if you're Progressive, I think it could similarly help to put your views in the context of the beliefs upon which our country was founded. Anyone, on either side of the political aisle, will be far better informed in their viewpoints by reading this book.
March 3, 2021
A collection of the most important publications and document in our country's hisory.
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April 6, 2021This book should be mandatory reading for all high school students.
March 11, 2023
Excellent for reference or for serious understanding of the decisions at the constitutional convention.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews