Charles Louis Secondat, Baron de la Brède et de Montesquieu’s (universally known as Montesquieu) Spirit of the Laws, published 1748, is a work of political philosophy that compares the origins of different forms of government and uses historical examples to explore how these forms of government have developed. The work influenced both Federalist and Antifederalist writers in the ratification debates. Federalist authors like Hamilton and Madison focused on Montesquieu’s account of how separated powers provide internal checks on government power; Antifederalist pamphleteers tended to focus on Montesquieu’s arguments that true republican liberty is best maintained in small, self-governing states devoted to civic virtue. Montesquieu’s discussions of the relationship between commerce and politics influenced the framers directly and by way of Montesquieu’s influence on political economists like Adam Smith.