The Writers of Federalist Papers and The Federal Government

The Writers of Federalist Papers and The Federal GovernmentAlexander Hamilton and James Madison, the authors of the Federalist Papers, were two of the leading lights of the founding generation. The Federalist Papers was important because they are considered the first major works of American government. A far different government from the one we have today was envisioned by these men and a look at their ideas is vital for understanding the Founding Fathers and how they brought the country to life.In the early history of the colonies were a collection of several nations under one government. The initial use of the term 'United States' referred to the possessions of Britain. This republic originally had no written constitution, nor any other form of official legislation. It did, however, have a system of laws that were applied on a regular basis.One of the more important features of the government of this time was the central government. The main body responsible for the central governm ent was the Congress, which was made up of representatives from each state. The United States Congress could not exceed twenty-five members and could not be extended.When the Revolutionary War began, the United States was a constitutional monarchy. England had achieved independence from the British crown, but there was still an arm of the government - the crown - that operated there. Once the government of the country was formally dissolved, the Congress of the new United States took over, which allowed the founding fathers to begin crafting a written constitution.In 1789, a Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia. The Founding Fathers wanted to begin the process of drafting a constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation. However, in order to do this, they needed to get a consensus between all the delegates in the convention. They were then able to get the articles completed and passed.The Articles of Confederation had only a limited central government. They also had an appointed legislature, and they allowed each state to exercise its own laws. The Articles required that all disputes be settled through the chief justice of the Supreme Court, which limited the government's power.In order to establish a more unified and stronger central government, the Founding Fathers worked to amend the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution was developed over the course of the next three years. Its first draft was drafted by Alexander Hamilton, a Federalist and Thomas Jefferson, a Democrat.The Federalist Papers was among the most influential written works in American history. All four authors wrote significant writings that shaped the principles and functions of the federal government. While the U.S. Constitution is the work of many men, it can be viewed as a product of the authors of the Federalist Papers.