Alexander Hamilton devotes his entire attention to the military issue – the new Constitution’s provisions for Federal control of the militia – in Essay #29, Concerning the Militia. Specifically, the constitution empowers the union “to provide for organizing, arming and disciplining the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the […]

In Federalist Paper #28, The Idea of Restraining the Legislative Authority in Regard to the Common Defense Considered, Hamilton argues for the creation of a national standing army to maintain domestic tranquility. He acknowledges that there may be times in which the government must use force to maintain law and order, but then contends that this […]

In Federalist #27, a continuation of The Idea of Restraining the Legislative Authority in Regard to the Common Defense Considered, Hamilton argues that a national government with the authority to impose laws on the citizens themselves will ultimately provide for greater stability and peace than a system of independent states loosely connected within a confederation. Hamilton argues […]

This is a project to summarize and articulate in simple terms the 85 essays (known as the “Federalist Papers”) that were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay in an effort to convince the people of New York to ratify the recently-drafted Constitution of the United States. This is not a “partisan” project. It is […]

In Federalist #26, The Idea of Restraining the Legislative Authority in Regard to the Common Defense Considered, Hamilton continues his defense of the proposed Constitution’s provisions for standing armies in times of peace – consistent with the goal of the new Constitution to achieve a balance between the “energy” of government and the rights of the people. […]