Documents in Early American History

James Madison wrote a series of political essays for the National Gazette, a Philadelphia newspaper,  in the 1790s. His "Government of the United States" picks up where he left off in the The Federalist discussing the federal division of power between the central government and the states. His discussion of checks and balances continues in "Parties" where he defends a political party system wherein each party can check the other. Madison was the founder in Congress, in the 1790s, of America's first political party, the Republicans (not connected with the later Republican party, founded in the 1850s, which continues to this day).

Government of the United States

Parties

 

Documents in Early American History
Documents selected and edited, and web site created and maintained, by F. Thornton Miller