Evidence is lacking on the extent to which any of the articles written
in the ratification debates were disseminated or influential. We have
intimations that copies of newspaper articles were mailed widely and
discussed long before they were republished, and may have had indirect
influence through such discussion. The lack of mention of them in
verbal debate is not dispositive, as that was not often done even for
well-known writings. The best we can do is note similarities of word
choice or phrasing that might suggest chains of influence.
To get a sense of this, just consider how so many state ratification
conventions proposed the same amendments. Clearly, there was intense
communication going on.
On 04/06/2011 12:23 PM, Jerald Lentini wrote:
Jon Roland can probably provide a better answer, but from
my
rudimentary understanding, The State House Yard address of James
Wilson, which took place almost a month before Federalist 1 was
published, was more popularly distributed and widely read at
the time
-- Jon
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