The Federalist Papers

The Federalist Papers

by

Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay

The Federalist Papers: Federalist No. 6 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Alexander Hamilton warns that if the states separate into independent confederacies, internal conflicts and rivalries will be inevitable. History shows that neighboring nations, even republics, often engage in war due to ambition, jealousy, and economic competition. He refutes the idea that commercial republics are naturally peaceful, citing examples like Athens, Carthage, and Britain, which frequently waged wars driven by trade rivalries and national pride. Republics, like monarchies, are ruled by people with personal ambitions, making them just as prone to conflict.
Hamilton’s argument draws on a deep historical skepticism about human nature, emphasizing the persistent role of ambition, jealousy, and economic rivalry in driving conflict. His references to Athens, Carthage, and Britain place the American experiment within a long lineage of republics that succumbed to internal divisions and external wars, challenging the idealistic belief that commerce naturally fosters peace.
Themes
Quotes
Hamilton argues that disunion would lead to factions, where powerful individuals manipulate public passions for personal gain, as seen in historical wars and uprisings. Even within the current union, rebellions like Shays’s Rebellion in Massachusetts prove that internal discord already exists. Without a strong national government, these disputes would escalate into open conflicts between states, turning them into rivals rather than allies. Hamilton dismisses the idea that neighboring states would naturally coexist peacefully, pointing out that history proves the opposite—proximity breeds hostility unless checked by a strong federal government. He concludes that only a united America can prevent destructive rivalries and internal wars, ensuring stability and security for all states.
Hamilton’s invocation of Shays’s Rebellion adds a contemporary urgency to his historical argument, positioning America’s internal unrest as a precursor to greater instability if disunion occurs. By framing factions as tools for ambitious individuals to exploit public passions, Hamilton critiques the fragile nature of popular government when left unchecked. This aligns with broader fears among Federalists that pure democracy could devolve into mob rule or factionalism without a stabilizing force. The historical analogy of neighboring states falling into rivalry speaks directly to the American context, in which geographic proximity, rather than fostering cooperation, risks breeding hostility.
Themes
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