In the 1700s, before the US Constitution was adopted, there was a fierce debate in the newspapers. Should this new Constitution be adopted or not?
Three writers joined together to encourage the people to accept the new Constitution. They called their collected writings “The Federalist Papers.”
In Federalist Paper # 1, Alexander Hamilton encourages his readers to be understanding toward their opponents and to remember that it is important to have a capable government. In Federalist Paper 1 Hamilton writes the following:
“It has been frequently remarked that it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country, by their conduct and example, to decide the important question, whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force.”
“So numerous indeed and so powerful are the causes which serve to give a false bias to the judgment, that we upon many occasions, see wise and good men on the wrong side of questions of the first magnitude to society.”
“[W]e are not always sure that those who advocate the truth are influenced by purer principles than their antagonists.”
Watch the video for the simplified version! And be sure to comment your answers to the questions below!
How do you think Federalist Paper No. 1 can be applied to today’s politics?
In what way could we as a society be more just in our representations of our political opponents?
