The Federalist On the New Constitution, Written in 1788, 1857 Edition. 

Size: 9 1/8 X 5 5/8 X 1 in. 

This important book is titled “The Federalist, On The New Constitution, Written in 1788, by Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Madison, and Mr. Jay: with An Appendix, Containing the Letters of Pacificus And Helvidius On The Proclamation of Neutrality of 1793; Also the Original Articles of Confederation, And the Constitution of the United States.”, and the book is a New Edition: The Number Written by Mr. Madison Corrected by Himself, and published in Hallowell in 1857 Hallowell by Masters, Smith & Co. The book has leather boards, five faint raised bands and a gilt title on a maroon label on the spine, blank endpapers with a circular stamp mark which says “Melchet Court, Romsey”, then the title page, Prefatory Remarks from iiii - vi, 479 pages of text which begin with The Federalist Number I by Alexander Hamilton, and an Index that runs to page 496. More commonly known as The Federalist Papers, ”The Federalist" was a series of essays written in 1788 by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay to advocate for the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Published anonymously in New York newspapers under the pseudonym “Publius”, they aimed to persuade New Yorkers to adopt the Constitution. The essays covered a wide range of topics, including the structure of the government, the role of the different branches, and the importance of checks and balances. They stressed the need for a strong central government, because it was necessary to address the challenges facing the young nation and ensure its stability. The essays emphasized the virtues of a republican form of government, where power resides in the people and their representatives, and they highlighted the importance of dividing governmental authority among different branches to prevent tyranny. The authors also wrote about the protection of individual rights, and the Federalist Papers are considered a valuable resource for understanding the original intent of the Constitution and its framers, and it’s been called the most important commentary on the Constitution, the most significant American contribution to political theory, and among the most important of all American books. The book measures 9 1/8 x 5 5/8 inches wide and has detached boards and needs to be rebound. The text is pretty clean, with occasional brown spots and light soiling, and original printings from 1788 can fetch high prices, often exceeding $20,000. One example sold for $27,500 at auction, a copy owned by David Stuart, also from 1788, was estimated at $250,000 to $350,000, and two sets on the rare book website we use go for $260,000 to $303,000, so early editions are way up there. Prices for copies from the 1860’s go for $600 to $1500, according to the rare book website we use, and we’ve started the bidding low enough for someone to have the book rebound.