The Anti-Federalist Papers

By Patrick Henry

Book Overview

Between the first proposals of a federal Constitution in 1787 and the document's 1789 ratification, an intense debate raged among the nation's founding fathers. The Federalist Papers -- authored by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay -- favored the adoption of the Constitution, but other early statesmen opposed its ratification. The latter group, writing under pseudonyms, amassed a substantial number of influential essays, speeches, and letters that warned of the dangers inherent in a powerful central government.
Although never collected in as definitive a form as The Federalist Papers, these statements of opposition appeared in various publications and eventually became known as The Anti-Federalist Papers. Some of their arguments were incorporated into the first ten amendments to the Constitution -- the Bill of Rights -- but others remained unaddressed. The persuasive and well-argued statements encompassed by this volume continue to provide a valuable and timely perspective on the necessary limits of power.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486843459
• ISBN13: 9780486843452
• Release Date: May 2020
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 7.9"