Read Online America's Greatest 19th Century Presidents by Charles River Editors - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Charles River Editors
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front and center, seated to Ben Franklin’s left. Hamilton is on Franklin’s right.
Working to Ratify the Constitution in Virginia
The Convention was over, but that didn’t mean the Constitution immediately took effect. After the final document was agreed to in Philadelphia, it still had to be ratified by the colonies, which required the delegates to attempt to argue for or against it. Between October 1787 and August 1788, very public debates took place between supporters of the new constitution and opponents. At stake was whether the United States would remain governed by the Articles of Confederation or would adopt the new Constitution. Today the Articles of Confederation are looked at as an archaic failure, but it’s important to remember that ratifying the Constitution basically required the 13 individual states to give up significant amounts of their own sovereignty.
Madison had no qualms about ratifying the Constitution, but his state was far less eager to cede power to a federal government. As one of the biggest and most influential states, many in Virginia were wary about the state losing its weight in a national government that equally proportioned representation from all states in one house of Congress. Virginia was especially critical to the ratification of the Constitution, because many other states were unwilling to ratify the Constitution without Virginia's support, believing the nation would fail without Virginia.
Madison was a delegate to the Virginia ratification convention, where some of his former colleagues now became formidable opponents. The most prominent among these were Patrick Henry and George Mason, who both thought the large central government would trample on states' rights. Madison, however, eventually rose to the occasion and persuaded Henry, Mason and other prominent Virginians to support the Constitution. He did so by offering concessions, some explicit and others implicit. Among these were his promise to support a later Bill of Rights and his suggestion that a Virginian would likely dominate the Presidency, which proved correct from 1789-1825, with the exception of John Adams’s one term.
The Federalist Papers
Having secured Virginia, Madison, together with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, worked to sell the new Constitution to the American people. Hamilton and Jay, both from New York, were also from a large state that was hesitant to ratify the Constitution. Together the three anonymously authored a series of letters and articles promoting the merits of the Constitution. These writings collectively became known as the Federalist Papers , which still remain among the most famous and influential political writings in the nation’s history.
Although the premise of the Federalist Papers was originally Hamilton’s idea, it was Madison who made the finest contributions. Among Madison's notable submissions were his arguments about federalism's compatibility with a pluralist society in Federalist #10 and Federalist #51. Here, Madison opposed factionalism but argued that federalism provided the best chance for cohesion in a society as politically, religiously and culturally diverse as the United States. In Federalist #39, he argued that the Constitution's federal/state dichotomy was best for the United States, and he further explained the system of checks and balances in Federalist #48. Together, these four articles in the Federalist Papers continue to be the most widely-read, and they continue to outshine Jay’s and Hamilton’s contributions.
Jay
The Bill of Rights
While Madison was an ardent advocate in favor of ratifying the Constitution, he was acutely aware of the opinions of its opponents, later stating, “I believe that the great mass of the people who opposed it, disliked it because it did not contain effectual provision against encroachments on particular rights, and those safeguards which they have been
Working to Ratify the Constitution in Virginia
The Convention was over, but that didn’t mean the Constitution immediately took effect. After the final document was agreed to in Philadelphia, it still had to be ratified by the colonies, which required the delegates to attempt to argue for or against it. Between October 1787 and August 1788, very public debates took place between supporters of the new constitution and opponents. At stake was whether the United States would remain governed by the Articles of Confederation or would adopt the new Constitution. Today the Articles of Confederation are looked at as an archaic failure, but it’s important to remember that ratifying the Constitution basically required the 13 individual states to give up significant amounts of their own sovereignty.
Madison had no qualms about ratifying the Constitution, but his state was far less eager to cede power to a federal government. As one of the biggest and most influential states, many in Virginia were wary about the state losing its weight in a national government that equally proportioned representation from all states in one house of Congress. Virginia was especially critical to the ratification of the Constitution, because many other states were unwilling to ratify the Constitution without Virginia's support, believing the nation would fail without Virginia.
Madison was a delegate to the Virginia ratification convention, where some of his former colleagues now became formidable opponents. The most prominent among these were Patrick Henry and George Mason, who both thought the large central government would trample on states' rights. Madison, however, eventually rose to the occasion and persuaded Henry, Mason and other prominent Virginians to support the Constitution. He did so by offering concessions, some explicit and others implicit. Among these were his promise to support a later Bill of Rights and his suggestion that a Virginian would likely dominate the Presidency, which proved correct from 1789-1825, with the exception of John Adams’s one term.
The Federalist Papers
Having secured Virginia, Madison, together with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, worked to sell the new Constitution to the American people. Hamilton and Jay, both from New York, were also from a large state that was hesitant to ratify the Constitution. Together the three anonymously authored a series of letters and articles promoting the merits of the Constitution. These writings collectively became known as the Federalist Papers , which still remain among the most famous and influential political writings in the nation’s history.
Although the premise of the Federalist Papers was originally Hamilton’s idea, it was Madison who made the finest contributions. Among Madison's notable submissions were his arguments about federalism's compatibility with a pluralist society in Federalist #10 and Federalist #51. Here, Madison opposed factionalism but argued that federalism provided the best chance for cohesion in a society as politically, religiously and culturally diverse as the United States. In Federalist #39, he argued that the Constitution's federal/state dichotomy was best for the United States, and he further explained the system of checks and balances in Federalist #48. Together, these four articles in the Federalist Papers continue to be the most widely-read, and they continue to outshine Jay’s and Hamilton’s contributions.
Jay
The Bill of Rights
While Madison was an ardent advocate in favor of ratifying the Constitution, he was acutely aware of the opinions of its opponents, later stating, “I believe that the great mass of the people who opposed it, disliked it because it did not contain effectual provision against encroachments on particular rights, and those safeguards which they have been
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