The Federalist Papers

Hey all,

I am pleased to announce this event on the Federalist Papers.

Some background: By 1787, it had become apparent that the country could not survive under the Articles of Confederation. There was no chief executive or judiciary, and the Continental Congress could not levy taxes or regulate commerce. The states and the federal government were deeply in debt. And Shays Rebellion in Massachusetts continued for a period of months before the state militia could suppress it. As a result, delegates from the thirteen original states convened in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 in order to revise the Articles of Confederation. Instead, this Constitutional Convention ended up replacing the Articles with the United States Constitution.

Before the Constitution could become law, however, it had to be ratified by the individual states. It was for this purpose that Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote the federalist papers, a series of 85 essays advocating for the ratification of the United States Constitution. They were published serially in several New York newspapers under the pseudonym “Publius” over a period of about nine months.

Although it is unclear how much effect these papers had on ratification, they are of incalculable value in understanding the thinking of our founders on the Constitution, from separation of powers and checks and balances to federalism and judicial review. These papers also discuss such timeless issues as the nature of self-government, the importance of Union, and the dangers of demagoguery, topics of particular importance today.

Our event will include a discussion on all of this and more! My overall objective is to use the Federalist Papers and the words of Hamilton, Madison, and Jay to help us better understand our system of government and Constitution.

Hope many of you can make it!

Best,

Danny

P.S. I've capped attendance for this event because of the size constraints of the location. If you RSVP and then realize you can't make it, please unRSVP on Meetup, so someone can take your place.