Alternatives to The Federalist: The more accurate way to understand the original meaning of the Constitution

Abstract

This thesis examines The Federalist and analyzes the credit it deserves for helping secure ratification of the Constitution. The thesis also looks to other sources that may have had more of an impact in the ratification decisions made by the various state ratifying conventions that ultimately secured ratification of the Constitution. To truly understand the original public meaning of the Constitution, scholars or judges must look more broadly at the individual debates in each of the thirteen state ratifying conventions. Ultimately, this thesis confirms that courts and scholars should not rely primarily on The Federalist as the definitive understanding of what those who ratified the Constitution believed and understood.