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The federalist papers refer to a series of eighty five articles that were written and published in the New York newspapers under the name Publius. The articles were written by three American constitutionalists namely James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay (Bernstein 14). The articles were mainly written to drum up support for the then proposed constitution. This effort was later recognized as one of the most successful public relation campaigns ever. All of these articles were published between 1787 and 1788. The papers were published in different newspapers and journals. The federalist papers are still considered good reference materials for anyone who wants to understand the United States Constitution.
When the Federal Convention proposed the new constitution and sent it to the Confederation Congress for ratification, it immediately became a major debate item. This debate took the form of numerous essays and articles especially from those who were opposing it. These anti-federalists had begun publishing articles in New York papers as early as September of 1787 (Meyerson 24). This development gave rise to another group whose intention was to demystify the contents of the proposed constitution. The first Federalist paper explains that the series would respond to all objections that were relevant to the readers. Alexander Hamilton the pioneer author of the federalist papers recruited the other two authors to help him with the task. These two other contributors were John Jay and James Madison.
These papers were to appear in three different papers in New York; “The New York Packet”, “The Independent Journal”, and “The Daily Advertiser”. The purpose of the federalist papers was to convince the people of New York to ratify the proposed constitution because most of the other states had already done so. It is not clear to what extent these articles were able to accomplish this mission but their overall contribution is notable. The federalist papers were structured in such a way that they were able to cover six major topics. However, the papers are mostly used to interpret the constitution and prove the intentions of those who framed it. These papers are very useful especially in understanding those pieces of legislation that bear controversy.
One of such sections is the one that protects citizens’ right to bear arms. This section is covered by the Second Amendment in the United States Constitution. This section was part of the Bill of Rights adopted in 1791. The federalist papers number forty six and twenty eight discuss this subject. These papers can help in understanding the intentions of those who framed the Second Amendment. The context of this section of the constitution can also be understood through the federalist papers.
The Second Amendment was meant to disperse fears that the rights Americans were accustomed to would be lost. One of the authors of this piece of legislation also authored the federalist papers. James Madison, the framer of the Second Amendment wrote federalist paper number forty six that addresses the issue of right to bear arms. According to this paper, Americans have an advantage over people of other nations because they are armed. The paper then notes that this premise threatens other institutions of authority that bear the responsibility to appoint militia officers. The paper also commented on the situation in Europe where monarchies were quick to restrict arms. This was mostly because they were afraid of the citizens revolting against them. It is also noted that a fair system of government has nothing to fear when it comes to granting citizens the right to bear arms. Alexander Hamilton on his side wrote in paper number twenty eight that the best people hoped for, was that they be properly armed. The paper adds that arms ownership contributes to the citizens’ right to self defense.
These papers address the main issues surrounding the right to bear arms. First, the papers outline the reasons Americans should be allowed to bear arms. The first reason is because it is a right they have always been accustomed to. The second reason is because the power that comes with having guns should not be limited to organs of the government. This is because governments often use this power against the citizens. The other reason is because it sets Americans apart from other people especially those in Europe. According to the paper, disarming Americans would have marked the beginning of oppression against them. The federalist papers were meant to get the people to ratify the constitution; therefore they addressed those issues that opponents of the constitution dwelt on. This way it can be concluded that the main fear at the time was that the new constitution would propose that the citizens be disarmed.
Works Cited
Bernstein, R. The Founding Fathers Reconsidered, New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.
Bogus, Carl. The Second Amendment in Law and History: Historians and Constitutional Scholars on the Right to Bear Arms, New York, NY: The New Press, 2001. Print.
Cornell, S. Whose Right to Bear Arms Did the Second Amendment Protect, New York, NY: St. Martin’s, 2000. Print.
Meyerson, Michael. Liberty’s Blueprint: How Madison and Hamilton Wrote the Federalist Papers, Defined the Constitution, and Made Democracy Safe for the World, New York, NY: Basic Books, 2008. Print.
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