The eighty-five essays, today commonly referred to as The Federalist Papers,
were written in 1787 and 1788 in order to help in securing the ratification of the
proposed United States Constitution in the State of New York. Although the essays
were all signed Publius, they were written by three men of different background and,
to some extent, different political ideas. John Jay, Alexander Hamilton and James
Madison have contributed to the Papers in different quantity. Due to an illness Jay
has contributed only five articles. Hamilton’s and Madison’s contributions are not
always easy to separate but most scholars ascribe twenty-nine articles to Madison
and fifty-one to Hamilton. The authorship of essays “18-20, 49-58, and 62-63 was
the subject of heated historical controversy for more than a century and a half,
because both Hamilton and Madison allegedly claimed authorship of these essays.”
The object of this paper is to analyze the rhetorical approach of Madison and
Hamilton in selected papers. Also, an attempt will be made to determine if, and to
what extent their rhetorical style and political ideas are distinguishable even under
the joint guise of Publius.
The analysis will be undertaken on the examples of four selected papers – No. 10,
54, 84 and 85, which were chosen as representatives of the respective author’s style,
since a detailed analysis of all 85 papers would be to extensive for a term paper.
Contributions by John Jay are deliberately left out since they consist of only 5 papers
which are arguably among the less important ones. Federalist No.10 was chosen as the most famous of Madison’s contributions due to
its prominence within the scholarly debate and the prevailing significance of the
problem discussed in the essay – the dangers or factions within a republic system.
No. 54 was chosen as an example of disputed authorship and due to its treatment of
the complex problem of slavery in regard to the number of Representatives of Southern States. A special interest lies in the author’s approach to distinguish the
slaves status of being ‘people’ and ‘property’ at the same time. No. 84 was chosen
due to Hamilton’s interesting rhetorical treatment of and political stance on the bill of
rights. No. 85 was chosen because of its importance as a conclusion to the complete
work and arguments of the whole body of texts. [...]
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Historical Background
- 3. Analysis of selected Federalist Papers
- 3.1. Federalist No. 10
- 3.2. Federalist No. 54
- 3.3. Federalist No. 84
- 3.4. Federalist No. 85
- 4. Summary and Conclusion
- 5. Literature
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper analyzes the rhetorical approaches of Madison and Hamilton in selected Federalist Papers (Nos. 10, 54, 84, and 85), aiming to determine if and how their rhetorical styles and political ideas differ, even under the shared pseudonym "Publius." The analysis focuses on these papers as representative examples of each author's style, given the scope of the project. The historical context surrounding the writing and ratification of the Constitution is also considered.
- Rhetorical analysis of selected Federalist Papers
- Comparison of Madison's and Hamilton's writing styles
- Examination of the political ideas presented in the chosen papers
- Exploration of the historical context of the Federalist Papers
- The role of factions and the potential for tyranny in a republic
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This introductory chapter sets the stage for the paper's analysis of the rhetorical strategies employed by Madison and Hamilton in the Federalist Papers. It introduces the context of the papers' creation – the need to secure ratification of the newly proposed US Constitution – and briefly discusses the authorship of the essays, highlighting the contributions of Jay, Hamilton, and Madison. The chapter explicitly states the paper's objective to analyze the rhetorical approaches of Madison and Hamilton in selected papers (Nos. 10, 54, 84, and 85), chosen for their representativeness of the authors' styles. The exclusion of Jay's papers is justified due to their smaller number and perceived lesser importance. The choice of specific papers is further explained, highlighting their significance within scholarly debate and their treatment of key issues like factions, slavery, and the Bill of Rights.
2. Historical Background: This chapter provides essential historical context for understanding the creation of the Federalist Papers. It details the events following the Declaration of Independence, describing the inadequacies of the Articles of Confederation in addressing the post-war economic crisis. The chapter highlights the failed attempts to amend the Articles, leading to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The subsequent drafting of a new Constitution, favoring a strong central government, is discussed along with the ensuing debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists during the ratification process. The chapter emphasizes the intense political climate in New York, where Hamilton, Jay, and Madison collaborated to publish the Federalist Papers as a means of swaying public opinion in favor of the new Constitution. The chapter ends by acknowledging the uncertainty regarding the extent to which the Papers influenced the ultimate ratification of the Constitution in New York.
Keywords
Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay, rhetoric, political philosophy, American Constitution, ratification, factions, republicanism, slavery, Bill of Rights.
Frequently Asked Questions: Analysis of Rhetorical Approaches in Selected Federalist Papers
What is the main topic of this paper?
This paper analyzes the rhetorical approaches of James Madison and Alexander Hamilton in selected Federalist Papers (Nos. 10, 54, 84, and 85). It aims to identify and compare their rhetorical styles and political ideas, even though they wrote under the shared pseudonym "Publius." The analysis considers the historical context surrounding the Constitution's writing and ratification.
Which Federalist Papers are analyzed?
The paper focuses on Federalist Papers 10, 54, 84, and 85. These papers were chosen as representative examples of Madison's and Hamilton's writing styles.
What are the key themes explored in the paper?
Key themes include a rhetorical analysis of the selected Federalist Papers; a comparison of Madison's and Hamilton's writing styles; an examination of the political ideas presented; an exploration of the historical context of the Federalist Papers; and the role of factions and the potential for tyranny in a republic.
What is the purpose of the historical background chapter?
The historical background chapter provides context for understanding the creation of the Federalist Papers. It covers events after the Declaration of Independence, the inadequacies of the Articles of Confederation, the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists, and the political climate in New York during the ratification process.
Why were the Federalist Papers written?
The Federalist Papers were written to persuade the public to ratify the newly proposed US Constitution. They were published primarily in New York, where the debate over ratification was particularly intense.
Why are only certain Federalist Papers analyzed?
The paper focuses on selected papers (Nos. 10, 54, 84, and 85) because of their representativeness of Madison and Hamilton's writing styles and their significance in scholarly debate. The papers of John Jay are excluded due to their smaller number and perceived lesser importance within the scope of the project.
What are the chapter summaries?
The paper includes summaries of each chapter: an introduction setting the stage for the analysis; a historical background chapter providing context; a chapter analyzing the selected Federalist Papers; a summary and conclusion; and a literature section (though the provided preview doesn't detail the content of the summary and conclusion or the literature section).
What are the keywords associated with this paper?
Keywords include Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay, rhetoric, political philosophy, American Constitution, ratification, factions, republicanism, slavery, and Bill of Rights.
What is the overall objective of the paper?
The paper aims to determine if and how the rhetorical styles and political ideas of Madison and Hamilton differ, despite their shared authorship under the pseudonym "Publius."
- Quote paper
- Jelena Vukadinovic (Author), 2008, The Rhetorical Approach in the Federalist Papers No.10, No.54, No.84 and No.85, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/126097
