Lesson 14: What Was the Federalist Position in the Debate about Ratification?
What was the Federalists' position in the debate over ratification and what strategies did they use? (Video)
Logistical and rhetorical strategies; rapid ratification process; process tailored to specific situations in states; published essays The Federalist.
Student Questions: Unit 2, Lesson 14, Sections 1-4 (pdf download)
What were the Federalists' response to Anti-Federalist fears of a strong central government? (Video)
Madison's responses - definition of faction, breaking or controlling the effects of factions; liberty destroyed by removing liberty, the cause of factions; controlling effects of factions; problem of majority faction depriving minority factions of their rights; problem with democracies; problem of small republics; advantages of large republics in securing liberty. Contemporary relevance of Madison's argument.
What were the central arguments of the Federalists? (Video)
Articles insufficient for functional national government; Constitution only reliable alternative; Constitution can be amended when necessary; will add amendments including the Bill of Rights in the first Congress; cannot rely upon civic virtue; checks and balances manages problem of unreliability of civic virtue.
How did the ratification process succeed? (Video)
Small states saw benefits to them and ratified quickly; Federalists agreed to add Bill of Rights in First Congress; Anti-Federalists abstain from voting; George Washington pressures Rhode Island.
Carol Berkin on Federalists and Anti-Federalists (Video)
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History presents historian Carol Berkin on the role of the Federalists and the Antifederalists in the Founding Era.
Jack Rakove on the Ratification of the Constitution (Video)
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History presents historian Jack Rakove on the ratification of the Constitution.
Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution (Video)
A video discussing the debates over and ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1787-1788.
Harvey Mansfield on the Wisdom of The Federalist (Video)
Journalist Bill Kristol and Harvard professor Harvey Mansfield discuss The Federalist and why it should be considered a great work on politics. Mansfield describes the complexity of the argument of The Federalist, and explains why it remains an important guide for thinking about American government.
The Federalist (Audio)
Audio recordings of eighty-five essays, also known as the Federalist Papers, written between October 1787 and May 1788 by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay. Various lengths and file sizes. From LibriVox.
Virginia Ratifies the Constitution - 1788 (Audio)
A radio dramatization of Virginia's ratification of the Constitution. From You Are There!, a CBS radio show from the 1940s and 50s. File size: 28.5 mb.
60-Second Civics, Episode 377, The Federalists organize quickly (Audio)
The Federalists organize quickly to counter their opponents.
60-Second Civics, Episode 378: The Federalists and the Ratification Debates (Audio)
Three men--Hamilton, Madison, and Jay--publish essays in support of ratification.
60-Second Civics, Episode 380: The Central Problem of Republican Government (Audio)
The Federalist response to Anti-Federalist fears of a large republic.
60-Second Civics, Episode 381: Federalist 10: Part 1 (Audio)
Madison's solution to the problem of a republican government over a large geographic region.
60-Second Civics, Episode 382: Federalist 10: Part 2 (Audio)
Madison's views on the dangers of faction.
60-Second Civics, Episode 383: Federalist 10: Part 3 (Audio)
Majority tyranny defined by James Madison.
60-Second Civics, Episode 384: Federalist 10: Part 4 (Audio)
Madison's views on the benefits of a large, diverse republic.
60-Second Civics, Episode 385: Federalist Arguments about Civic Virtue (Audio)
We begin an examination of the Federalists' views on civic virtue.
60-Second Civics, Episode 386: Federalist Mistrust of Civic Virtue (Audio)
Continued discussion of the Federalists and civic virtue.
60-Second Civics, Episode 387: The Constitution Does Not Rely on Civic Virtue (Audio)
The Federalist claim that the national government created by the Constitution did not rely on civic virtue.
60-Second Civics, Episode 388: The Constitution Protects the Common Good (Audio)
A discussion of the Federalist claims about how the Constitution promotes the goals of republicanism.
60-Second Civics, Episode 389: The Constitution: Not Too Complicated (Audio)
James Madison's rebuttal to the claim that the Constitution was too complicated to be effective.
