FEDERALIST PAPERS
A collection of eighty-five essays by ALEXANDER HAMILTON (1755–1804), JAMES MADISON (1751–1836), and JOHN JAY (1745–1829) that explain the philosophy and defend the advantages of the U.S. Constitution.
The essays that constitute The Federalist
Papers were published in various New York
newspapers between October 27, 1787, and
August 16, 1788, and appeared in book form in
March and May 1788. They remain important
statements of U.S. political and legal philosophy
as well as a key source for understanding the
U.S. Constitution.
The Federalist Papers originated in a con-
tentious debate over ratification of the U.S.
Constitution. After its completion by the Consti-
tutional Convention on September 17, 1787, the
Constitution required ratification by nine states
before it could become effective. A group known
as the Federalists favored passage of the Consti-
tution, and the Anti-Federalists opposed it.
To secure its ratification in New York State,
Federalists Hamilton, Madison, and Jay pub-
lished the Federalist essays under the pseudonym
Publius, a name taken from Publius Valerius
Poplicola, a leading politician of the ancient
Roman republic. Their purpose was to clarify
and explain the provisions of the Constitution,
expounding its benefits over the existing system
