Skip to main content

Primary sourceDocument22 November 1787

Federalist No. 10

James Madison · 22 November 1787

An essay by James Madison arguing that a large republic best controls the dangers of political factions.

Madison wrote this essay as one of the pseudonymous Federalist Papers to defend the Constitution he had helped draft.

Ask James Madison about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Full text (Wikisource)

About this source

What it is

Federalist No. 10 is an essay written by James Madison, published under the pen name 'Publius' in the New York Daily Advertiser on November 22, 1787. It was the tenth in a series known as The Federalist Papers, written to urge ratification of the new Constitution.

Why it matters

Madison argued that factions—groups with competing interests—were inevitable in any society, but that a large republic with elected representatives could prevent any one faction from dominating and harming the rights of others. The essay is among the most influential pieces of American political thought and shows how Madison, alongside Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, tried to persuade a skeptical public to accept the new government.

Look closer

  • Why might Madison have written under a pen name instead of his own?
  • What problems was Madison trying to solve that the Articles of Confederation could not?
  • How does Madison's idea of 'faction' compare to political parties today?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of James Madison on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More James Madison sources

Meet the AI James Madison →
Photograph of the original parchment of the United States Constitution. The large handwritten text begins with the words 'We the People' in ornate script, followed by the article headings and dense lines of brown-ink writing on aged, yellowed parchment.Document

Primary source

United States Constitution

Constitutional Convention · 17 September 1787

Document

Primary source

Federalist No. 51

James Madison · 6 February 1788

Aged, yellowed parchment page with handwritten calligraphy in brown ink. The heading reads 'Congress of the United States' in large script, followed by the opening lines of the document below.Document

Primary source

Bill of Rights

25 September 1789

Handwritten manuscript page in brown ink on aged paper, headed 'State of the Resolutions submitted to the consideration of the House by the honorable Mr. Randolph, as altered, amended, and agreed to in a committee of the whole House.' Numbered resolutions follow, including provisions for a national government, a two-branch national legislature, and qualifications for members of the first and second branches.Document

Primary source

Virginia Plan

James Madison · 29 May 1787 (this copy 13 June 1787)

Title page of the first edition of The Federalist, volume I, 1788, New York. Handwritten inscription at top reads 'For Mrs. Church from her Sister Elizabeth Hamilton'. Blue library stamp and pencil note 'Jefferson's copy' visible.Book

Primary source

The Federalist Papers

Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay · 1788

Ready when you are

Start chatting with James Madison now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions