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 After
the Second Contiinental Congress declared American
Independence on July 4, 1776, we faced the problem of
organizing a government to put the principles of the
Declaration into practice. Our first attempt was the
Articles of Confederation. While the Nation was held
together by the common cause of defeating the British, the
Articles served well enough. But after the war, the states'
strong desire for self-government led to disputes over
taxes, trade, currency, and borders that the government
formed under the Articles could not resolve.
At
Alexander Hamilton's suggestion, Congress convened delegates
from all the states to amend the Articles in May, 1787.
Known now as the Constitutional Convention, the delegates
decided to draft a new plan of government - the
Constitution. Led by George Washington, the delegates worked
and debated throughout the summer at Independence Hall in
Philadelphia. On September 17, 1787, they signed the draft
Constitution and submitted it to the People of the United
States for ratification.
To
be ratified, nine of the thirteen states had to vote in
favor of the new Constitution. A vote against the
Constitution in populous states like New York or Virginia
would almost ensure that other states would reject it.
Writing under the pen-name Publius, Alexander Hamilton, John
Jay, and James Madison published 85 essays in New York City
newspapers from October 27, 1787 through August 16, 1788, to
explain how the Constitution protected freedom. The essays
have become known as the Federalist Papers. The Constitution
was ratified on June 26, 1788, partly because of the popular
support the Federalist Papers created.
The
Federalist Papers answer many of the questions about the
rights of citizens and the role of free government that we
struggle with even today. Sadly, we have forgotten many of
the ideas they explain and given up some of our freedom. If
we don't want to lose it all, each of us should learn what
the Federalist Papers have to say. Writing to Hamilton,
George Washington himself tells us how important these ideas
are:
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Alexander Hamilton
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Alexander
Hamilton (1757-1804) a New York lawyer,
was CO of an artillery unit until selected
by Washington to be his staff JAG.
Hamilton led the movement for a
Constitutional Convention and wrote 51 of
the 85 Federalist Papers. Hamilton was the
first Secretary of the Treasury and
founded the New York Post. After being
fatally wounded in a duel with Aaron Burr,
Hamilton's dying words were "I have a
tender reliance on the mercy of the
Almighty, through the merits of the Lord
Jesus Christ. I am a sinner. I look to Him
for mercy; pray for me."
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John
Jay (1745-1829) was the oldest of the
three authors. A New York lawyer, he wrote
the New York Constitution of 1777,
negotiated, along with Benjamin Franklin
and John Adams, the Treaty of 1783 that
made peace with Britain, and served as
Secretary of Foreign Affairs under the
Articles of Confederation. Jay became the
first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme
Court, serving from 1799-1895.
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James Madison
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James
Madison (1751-1836) studied theology and
government at Princeton under John
Witherspoon, a preacher and signer of the
Declaration of Independence. As a Virginia
lawyer, Madison's views on government in
the Virginia Plan formed the basis of the
Consitution. He spoke 161 times at the
Constitutional Convention, more than any
other founder except Gouverneur Morris.
For this, and his detailed notes on the
Convention, he is known as the "Father of
the Constitution." Madison moved that
Franklin's appeal for prayer at the
Convention be enacted. He was our fourth
President, from 1809-1817.
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