Federalist Papers Book Club

About the Papers

The Federalist Papers are a series of essays written in 1787-1788 arguing in favor of ratifying the new proposed US Constitution. They were written by members of the Convention and authors of the Constitution, and present - in their own words - the strongest case they could for the new system.

What the Founders did was unprecedented, and they did the best they could with ideals and reason alone. But now, we have 250 years of experience to guide us on what's working and what's not. The Federalist Papers Book Club will look at these key decisions made at the nation's founding, and how they've played out in practice throughout our history, and in the present day.

Each session will begin with answering questions to understand what these old and often difficult documents are actually saying. We'll then discuss and analyze their arguments, guided by examples from the past 250 years, to answer key questions including:

• Has the American experiment worked out like the Federalists thought it would?

• What did the Founders predict correctly? What did nobody see coming?

• Are we convinced by their arguments? Would we vote to adopt it if we were there at the time?

• Would we make the same choices if we were building from scratch today?

About the Authors

James Madison was a Virginia plantation owner and considered the "father of the Constitution." He later became Secretary of State and the fourth US President.

Alexander Hamilton was a New York military officer, lawyer, and banker. He later became Secretary of the Treasury and a Broadway sensation.

John Jay was a New York lawyer and diplomat, and President of the Continental Congress. He later became the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Governor of New York.

All three were members of the Continental Congress and delegates to the Constitutional Convention. They used the pseudonym Publius to honor one of the legendary founders of the Roman Republic.

About the Host

Evan Karl Hoffman is a history enthusiast and member of the Waterbury Select Board. He is passionate about civics education and increasing democratic participation.