Hamilton rallies support for the Constitution

Image: Leaders of the Continental Congress, by Augustus Tholey, circa 1894, Library of Congress

Alexander Hamilton served as one of New York’s delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. After the Convention, as states debated whether to ratify the Constitution, Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison wrote a series of eighty-five essays in support of ratification. Later known as The Federalist Papers, these essays successfully built support for the Constitution, which strengthened the role of a federal government. In the first essay, Hamilton famously wrote, “the vigor of government is essential to the security of liberty.”

Newport Connection

Rhode Island had a strong Anti-Federalist contingent that opposed the efforts of the 1787 Constitutional Convention. The state refused to send a delegate to the Convention in Philadelphia, and it was the last of the thirteen states to ratify the Constitution. William Ellery, a Newport attorney, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and member of the Continental Congress, advocated for ratification at a time when the position was unpopular in the Rhode Island General Assembly. It was an uphill struggle for Ellery and his Federalist allies, but the state finally ratified in 1790.

Throughout this period, Ellery maintained a rich correspondence with Benjamin Huntington, a member of the Continental Congress from Connecticut and fellow supporter of the Constitution. In this letter to Ellery on June 26, 1788, Huntington writes, “The News of New Hampshire’s adopting the new constitution which makes no. 9 is just arrived, on this event I congratulate you heartily & hope to see the day when our little Sister State will be added to the number.” Nine states had to ratify the Constitution for it to go into effect, so New Hampshire’s decision marked a significant victory for Federalists.

Read the letter, below:

Images: Letter from Benjamin Huntington to William Ellery, June 26, 1788, William Ellery papers, Newport Historical Society. Click on the image to view the object record in Newportal.