the federal system were called
Federalists. Other people feared that the
new national government would be too
strong. They were called Anti-
Federalists.
Anti-Federalists were powerful in New
York. To get the people of New York to
approve the Constitution, Hamilton
began writing articles in New York
newspapers. Madison and Jay soon
joined him.
Most scholars believe that Alexander Hamilton
wrote most of the Federalist papers.
There is some uncertainty because the
authors signed their essays with a made-up
name, Publius.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Federalist Papers 9
The Federalist papers argued that the
new federal government would not be
too strong. They explained how the
national government would share power
with the states. They also explained that
the Constitution divided the power of
the federal government into three
branches. The system called checks and
balances would prevent any of the
branches from becoming too powerful.
#More to explore
Hamilton, Alexander • Madison, James
• United States Constitution
Federated States
of Micronesia
#see Micronesia, Federated States
of.
Ferdinand and
Isabella
Ferdinand and Isabella were the first
king and queen of Spain. They were
called the Catholic Monarchs because
they strongly supported the Roman
Catholic church. They are also known
for sending Christopher Columbus to
explore the NewWorld.
Background
Isabella was born on April 22, 1451.
Ferdinand was born on March 10, 1452.
At that time the land that is now Spain
was divided into several kingdoms. Isabella’s
father was the king of Castile, a
kingdom in central Spain. Ferdinand’s
father was the king of Aragon, in northeastern
Spain. Princess Isabella married
Prince Ferdinand in 1469.
Isabella became queen of Castile in
1474, but the king of Portugal also
wanted to rule there. Isabella defeated
him in war in 1479. In the same year
Ferdinand became king of Aragon.
Castile and Aragon were then joined
under the rule of King Ferdinand and
Queen Isabella. The combined kingdom
was the beginning of Spain.
Reign
Ferdinand and Isabella banned all religions
other than Roman Catholicism. In
1478 they established a court that
treated non-Catholics very harshly. The
court was called the Spanish Inquisition.
In 1492 Ferdinand and Isabella forced
all Jews who would not become Catholics
to leave Spain.
Ferdinand and Isabella also fought to
drive Muslims from Spain. Muslims
from North Africa had controlled much
of the area since the 700s. Over
hundreds of years Christians gradually
took land back from the Muslims. In
Ferdinand and Isabella 1482 Ferdinand and Isabella went to
10 Federated States of Micronesia BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
war with Granada, the last Muslim
kingdom in Spain. They defeated
Granada in 1492. Spain was then a
united Christian country.
Later in 1492 Ferdinand and Isabella
supported Columbus’ first voyage across
the Atlantic Ocean. The places where
Columbus landed became colonies of
Spain. Isabella died on November 26,
1504. Ferdinand died on January 23,
1516.
#More to explore
Columbus, Christopher • Inquisition
• Spain
Fermentation
Fermentation is a chemical change that
happens in vegetable and animal substances.
For thousands of years people
have used fermentation to make bread,
wine, beer, cheese, and other foods.
Fermentation often happens through the
work of tiny living things called yeasts,
bacteria, and mold. These living things
create substances called enzymes. The
enzymes break down food into
chemicals.
When bakers add yeast to bread dough,
the yeast breaks down the sugars in the
dough. While this happens, carbon
dioxide gas is released. The escaping
carbon dioxide makes the bread rise.
When winemakers add yeast to grape
juice, the yeast changes the juice’s sugar
into alcohol. Beer is another drink made
through the fermentation caused by
yeast.
People eat many other fermented foods.
Cheese comes from milk or cream that
has been fermented by bacteria. Soy
sauce is made from fermented soybeans.
As meat ages it becomes more tender.
This is also due to fermentation.
In addition, scientists use fermentation
to make certain drugs and vitamins. The
drug penicillin is made through fermentation
caused by mold.
#More to explore
Enzyme
Fern
Ferns are flowerless green plants. They
are usually easy to recognize by the
featherlike shape of their leaves, which
are called fronds. Ferns reproduce by
spores rather than by seeds. Some plants
that are called ferns, such as asparagus
At a soy sauce factory in Japan, soybeans
ferment in huge containers called vats.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Fern 11
ferns, reproduce by seeds and are not
true ferns.
There are about 12,000 different species,
or types, of fern throughout the world.
Some types first appeared on Earth more
than 360 million years ago. Ferns commonly
grow in tropical rain forests.
They also grow in other warm, moist
places where there is plenty of shade.
Very few species of fern are found in dry,
cold places.
Many fern species grow on the trunks
and branches of trees. Others grow in
bogs and marshes or float on the surface
of ponds. Some types of fern, called
bracken, spread like a weed through
