Pamphlets on the Constitution of the United States 1787-1788

As one of the co-authors of The Federalist Papers alongside Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, Jay wrote five essays (Federalist Nos. 2–5 and 64) that emphasized the importance of national unity, the role of a strong central government in foreign affairs, and the dangers of disunion. While Jay produced fewer writings than some of his contemporaries, his arguments helped shape public opinion in favor of ratification, making his work a vital part of the larger pamphlet debate captured in this volume.

As one of the most influential delegates at the Constitutional Convention and a strong Federalist, Wilson took to the public stage soon after the Constitution was signed to explain and defend its provisions. Wilson emphasized the benefits of a stronger national government, the balance of powers within the new system, and the fact that ultimate sovereignty rested with the people themselves.

Although he was a key delegate at the Constitutional Convention and helped draft the Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776, Mason refused to sign the Constitution in 1787 because he believed it gave too much power to the federal government and failed to adequately protect individual liberties. Mason’s writings, preserved in the Pamphlets on the Constitution collection, became some of the most influential Anti-Federalist texts and directly fueled the push for the Bill of Rights.

A prominent lawyer and politician, Smith argued that the proposed Constitution concentrated too much authority in the federal government and threatened the independence of the states as well as the rights of ordinary citizens. Smith’s arguments helped articulate Anti-Federalist concerns about representation, local control, and protections for individual liberties, shaping the discourse that ultimately led to the addition of the Bill of Rights.