Federalism in Literature

The Federalists sought a convention in order to forge a new Constitution for the U.S. From a series of essays known as The Federalist Papers to Joseph Dennie's Port Folio, the "preeminent Federalist literary magazine in the middle Atlantic," the Federalist movement was as much literary as political in nature (Arkin 655). This analysis will discuss the Federalist Movement in U.S. history from a literary perspective, showing how literary efforts to push for Federalism were quite successful in the forging of a new Constitution, primarily by cementing the idea of individuality in the imagination of the American people while distancing Federalists from republican charges of elitism.

Propaganda has often been used on the literary level to help foster change of al

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ditor, consumed so much of his time advocating against Jeffersonian democracy and for Federalism that he abandoned his law practice. Dennie's numerous published efforts and very strong opinions about Jeffersonian democracy actually were enough to witness his "arraignment for seditious libel" (Dowling 1). Dennie offended many with his views on democracy. Dennie's views against democracy were what made his support of Federalism appear to come off as sedition to critics and opponents of Federalism. In a scathing attack on democracy, one of Dennie's most offensive paragraphs to detractors is as follows: A democracy is scarcely tolerable at any period of national history. Its omens are always sinister...It was weak and wicked in Athens. It was bad in Sparta, and worse in Rome. It has been tried in France, and has terminated in despotism. It was tried in England, and rejected with the utmost loathing and abhorrence. It is on trial here, and the issue will be civil war, desolation, and anarchy. (Dowling 1) Writers like Ames and Dennie found their supporters in other literary publications. Writing in The New England Palladium, one writer maintains that while he is the last p
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Approximate Word count = 2423
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)

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