In reading the Federalist Papers, a collection of essays written in support of ratifying the Constitution...

Question

by Alexander Hamilton, he urges the United States to adopt the Constitution for the main purpose of preventing fighting between the states. Basically he predicts the Civil War about ninety years before it happened.

But another point that his counterpart, John Jay, made very effectively is that without a unified central government, it would make our country vulnerable to attack by other countries. It got me to thinking as to the purpose that Britain instituted individual colonies rather than one big colony on American soil. And then I got to thinking they did the same thing in Africa. Rather than make one large nation, they had Africa split up into many colonies, or nations, so they would be divided and weak. At least that's what I was thinking. That the purpose of British colonization, as it regards splitting one large area up into many smaller colonies, was to keep them weak and easy to control. Do you think this is true? I am admittedly ignorant of details, but I was thinking sort of broad picture, and I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on the motivation for Britain to colonize in this way, or if it was even their decision in the first place.

Answer 1

hello. I think in several ways you are correct, I myself have never 'read' the Federalist Papers, but remember who Alexander Hamiton is/was, and where he came from. He was not 'born' in the States, but in the Caribbean. With that awareness he could 'feel' the need for the states to be United. good luck with your understanding.

Answer 2

As the colonist realized, united they stood, devided they would fall. In the constituion they wanted to make sure this never happened. ie;

"Necessity" is itself written into the Constitution of the United States, since Article I, Section 8 says that "The Congress shall have Power... To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper to carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States..." Now, this "necessary and proper clause" was viewed with suspicion by the Anti-Federalists, and reasonably so, since it was suspected as a device for improperly expanding the power of the federal government.