Date of Award

Summer 1986

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

Committee Director

James Bugg, Jr.

Committee Member

Peter C. Stewart

Committee Member

John W. Kuehl

Call Number for Print

Special Collections LD4331.H47Y66

Abstract

This study seeks to discover the Federalists' motivation for ratification of the Constitution in the Virginia Ratifying Convention of 1788. Thirteen Federalist delegates were selected as representative of that group. Their backgrounds, previous voting records, and the areas they represented were studied to ascertain their motives in endorsement of the Constitution. The debates that took place at the Virginia Ratifying Convention, the delegates' correspondence, and public statements were also studied to affix motivation.

Although it was found that individual differences in motivation existed, as a group, the Virginia Federalists were motivated primarily not by economic considerations but by their desire to see a strong, viable, workable government established and based on a firm union of the states. The Federalists felt this union necessary to correct the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and to establish a strong national government in an international setting.

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In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

10.25777/zh13-ve16

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