The Federalist Era
The Preamble to the Constitution: How Do You Make a More Perfect Union? With the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, the U.S. firmly established itself as an independent nation. Six years later, in 1789, George Washington was elected the first President, initiating the form of government, based on the Constitution, that we recognize today.
The Federalist Papers Go here to read any of the Federalist Papers we discuss in class.
The Formation of a National Government Our nations history from 1783 - 1790s.
Center for Civic Education Homepage of the with information about its programs and publication.
THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
The Constitution Society The Constitution Society is a private non-profit organization dedicated to research and public education on the principles of constitutional republican government. It publishes documentation, engages in litigation, and organizes local citizens groups to work for reform.
THE FOUNDING FATHERS In all, 55 delegates attended the Constitutional Convention sessions, but only 39 actually signed the Constitution. The delegates ranged in age from Jonathan Dayton, aged 26, to Benjamin Franklin, aged 81, who was so infirm that he had to be carried to sessions in a sedan chair. You can also read a general biographical overviewof the delegates.
The Federalists & Anti-Federalists
The Virginia Anti-Federalists The Virginia Anti-Federalists are important to understanding the history of the ratification of the United States Constitution. Their defeat not only ensured ratification of the Constitution, but paved the way for creation of the Bill of Rights.
Federalists and Anti-Federalists The creation of the Constitution entailed hours of debate and compromise, and even when it was completed, some delegates were unhappy with it. The task of fixing the ailing Confederate government was not complete yet; each state had to ratify, or approve, the Constitution. Basically, people divided into two groups, the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. Each of their viewpoints is worth examining, as they both have sound reasoning.
Constitutional Topic: The Federalists and Anti-Federalists The Constitutional Topics pages at the USConstitution.net site are presented to delve deeper into topics than can be provided on the Glossary Page or in the FAQ pages. This Topic Page concerns the Federalists versus the Anti-Federalists and the struggle for ratification. Generally speaking, the federalists were in favor of ratification of the Constitution, and the Anti-Federalists were opposed.
Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton was born in 1757 on the island of Nevis, in the Leeward group, British West Indies. He was the illegitimate son of a common-law marriage between a poor itinerant Scottish merchant of aristocratic descent and an English-French Huguenot mother who was a planter's daughter. In 1766, after the father had moved his family elsewhere in the Leewards to St. Croix in the Danish (now United States) Virgin Islands, he returned to St. Kitts while his wife and two sons remained on St. Croix.
The Duel The most famous duel in American history climaxed a longstanding conflict between two of the most important men in the country. Alexander Hamilton, an impoverished immigrant from the West Indies, rose to become a framer of the U.S. Constitution and the architect of America's political economy. Aaron Burr, grandson of the theologian Jonathan Edwards, served with distinction in the Revolutionary War and was nearly elected the nation's third president. In 1804 they met in a duelan honor match that changed the course of American history.
John Jay "Let it be remembered that civil liberty consists, not in a right to every man to do just what he pleases, but it consists in an equal right to all citizens to have, enjoy, and do, in peace, security and without molestation, whatever the equal and constitutional laws of the country admit to be consistent with the public good."
Montpelier Homepage of James Madison's Montpelier, with information about the history, archaeology, landscape, and activities associated with Montpelier.
James Madison's Papers Homepage of the Papers of James Madison Project, University of Virginia, with a sampling of the original documents as well as biographical and bibliographical information.
James Madison Center Homepage of the James Madison Center, James Madison University.
Madison's Notes on the Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787, Federalist essays, and other writings are available here.
Patrick Henry Radical," is a title that few men can wear with ease. The name Patrick Henry, during the revolution and for some time after, was synonymous with that word in the minds of colonists and Empire alike.
George Mason was one of the greatest of the founding fathers of the United States, yet he is among the least known.
A Biography of Richard Henry Lee (1732-1794) Richard Henry Lee had the advantage in life of living during one of the most crucial times in American History. Allowing him to take part in one of the greatest events the world has witnessed, the pregnancy, birth, and childhood of the United States of America.