By identifying all the historical references and literary allusions by which the Founders sought to amplify their arguments and convince their readers-and by clarifying those important concepts (such as sovereignty, contract,separation of powers) that influenced the thinking of both the Founders and their opponents-renowned historian J. R. Pole here sets The Federalist in the intellectual world inhabited by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay. In reading Pole'sannotation alongside the main text, students and scholars alike will gain a deeper understanding of the papers-and of the time, needs, and circumstances that shaped them.