Federalist papers

Prior to the signing of the Declaration of of Independence on July 4, 1776, the colonies formed a group called the Continental Congress, which was responsible for war and international affairs. That group covered two time periods:

• First Continental Congress: Met from September 5, 1774, to October 26, 1774
• Second Continental Congress: Convened on May 10, 1775, and continued to function until March 1, 1781, when it was succeeded by the Congress of the Confederation

Congress of the Confederation then operated from 1781 to 1789, until the U.S. Constitution was ratified.

The Constitutional Convention debates took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787. These debates are published under the title “Elliot’s Debates”. During this period, delegates from 12 states gathered in Philadelphia to discuss and draft what would become the U.S. Constitution. These debates were crucial in shaping the structure and principles of the federal government. The Constitution was assembled mainly from James Madison’s notes during his attendance at the constitutional convention.

After the Constitutional Convention ended in September 17, 1787, attendees at the convention began publishing the Federalist Papers between October 1787 and May 1788 in national newspapers. These 85 essays, written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym “Publius,” were aimed at promoting the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. The Federalist Papers are a treasure trove of knowledge documenting the theory and purpose behind the structure of the Constitution and the resulting government by the founders themselves. The Federalist Papers SPECIFIC to the subject of taxation that you should read include as a minimum:

• Federalist Paper 12: The Utility of the Union In Respect to Revenue
• Federalist Paper 30: Concerning the General Power of Taxation
• Federalist Paper 31: Concerning the General Power of Taxation (Cont.)
• Federalist Paper 32: Concerning the General Power of Taxation (Cont.)
• Federalist Paper 33: Concerning the General Power of Taxation (Cont.)
• Federalist Paper 34: Concerning the General Power of Taxation (Cont.)
• Federalist Paper 35: Concerning the General Power of Taxation (Cont.)
• Federalist Paper 36: Concerning the General Power of Taxation (Cont.)
• Federalist Paper 45: Alleged Danger From the Powers of the Union to the State Governments Considered
• Federalist Paper 48: These Departments Should Not Be So Far Separated as to Have No Constitutional Control Over Each Other
• Federalist Paper 51: The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments
• Federalist Paper 57: The Alleged Tendency of the New Plan to Elevate the Few at the Expense of the Many Considered in Connection with Representation
• Federalist Paper 69: The Real Character of the Executive
• Federalist Paper 69: The Executive Department Further Considered
• Federalist Paper 78: The Judiciary Department
• Federalist Paper 79: The Judiciary Continued
• Federalist Paper 80: The Powers of the Judiciary

The U.S. Constitution was officially ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it, making the document the law of the land. This followed the signing of the Constitution on September 17, 17873.

You can read the entire Federalist Papers at the link below:

The Federalist Papers, Yale Law School, Avalon Project
https://avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/fed.asp