
The Federalist Papers were a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, that appeared in New York newspapers between October 1787 and August 1788. The essays were written in favour of the new Constitution, and were intended to build public and political support for its ratification. The Federalists promised to add amendments specifically protecting individual liberties, such as freedom of religion, speech, press, peaceable assembly, and petition.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of essays | 85 |
| Authors | James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay |
| Pseudonym | Publius |
| Publication date | October 1787 - August 1788 |
| Publication | New York newspapers, primarily the Independent Journal and the New York Packet |
| Support for ratification | The Federalists were better organised and had strong support in the press of the day |
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What You'll Learn
- The Federalist Papers were a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison
- The essays were published in New York newspapers, primarily the Independent Journal and the New York Packet
- The Federalists were better organised than the Anti-Federalists, and had strong support in the press of the day
- The Federalists promised to add amendments specifically protecting individual liberties
- George Washington was a supporter of the Federalist Papers, believing that they were crucial to the process of bolstering support for the Constitution's ratification

The Federalist Papers were a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison
George Washington was a strong supporter of the goals of the Constitution and saw The Federalist Papers as crucial to the process of bolstering support for its ratification. He described such publications as having:
> thrown new lights upon the science of Government, they have given the rights of man a full and fair discussion, and have explained them in so clear and forcible a manner as cannot fail to make a lasting impression upon those who read the best publications of the subject, and particularly the pieces under the signature of Publius.
The Federalists were faced with forceful Anti-Federalist opposition to a strong national government, but they were better organised and had strong support in the press of the day. Ultimately, they prevailed in state ratification debates.
Federalist Papers: A Powerful Tool for Constitution Ratification
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The essays were published in New York newspapers, primarily the Independent Journal and the New York Packet
The Federalist Papers were a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, that appeared in New York newspapers, primarily the Independent Journal and the New York Packet, between October 1787 and August 1788. The essays were published under the pseudonym 'Publius', a reference to the Roman consul, Publius Valerius Publicola. The authors chose to publish under an assumed name because they did not want to sign their names to the essays.
The Federalist Papers were written in favour of the new Constitution, which was sent to the States for ratification in September 1787 following the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. The Federalists, as supporters of ratification were known, faced forceful opposition from the Anti-Federalists, who were against a strong national government. The Federalists were better organised and had strong support from the press of the day, ultimately prevailing in state ratification debates.
George Washington was a strong supporter of the goals of the Constitution and saw The Federalist Papers and similar publications as crucial to the process of bolstering support for its ratification. He described such publications as having:
> thrown new lights upon the science of Government, they have given the rights of man a full and fair discussion, and have explained them in so clear and forcible a manner as cannot fail to make a lasting impression upon those who read the best publications of the subject, and particularly the pieces under the signature of Publius.
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The Federalists were better organised than the Anti-Federalists, and had strong support in the press of the day
The Federalists also had strong support in the press of the day. The Federalist Papers were a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, that appeared in New York newspapers, primarily the Independent Journal and the New York Packet, between October 1787 and August 1788. The Federalists also had the support of George Washington, who believed strongly in the goals of the Constitution and saw The Federalist Papers and similar publications as crucial to the process of bolstering support for its ratification. Washington described such publications as having "thrown new lights upon the science of Government" and giving "the rights of man a full and fair discussion".
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The Federalists promised to add amendments specifically protecting individual liberties
The Federalist Papers were a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, that appeared in New York newspapers, primarily the Independent Journal and the New York Packet, between October 1787 and August 1788. The essays were written under the pseudonym 'Publius' and were intended to build public and political support for the newly constructed Constitution.
The Federalists were faced with forceful Anti-Federalist opposition to a strong national government. The Federalists published their series of articles in New York City newspapers in which they advocated ratification of the Constitution. The Federalists were better organised and had strong support in the press of the day. They ultimately prevailed in state ratification debates.
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George Washington was a supporter of the Federalist Papers, believing that they were crucial to the process of bolstering support for the Constitution's ratification
The Federalist Papers were a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, that appeared in New York newspapers, primarily the Independent Journal and the New York Packet, between October 1787 and August 1788. Hamilton, Jay, and Madison did not sign their names to the essays; they chose to publish using assumed names such as Publius, which was a reference to a Roman consul, Publius Valerius Publicola. The Federalist Papers were written in favour of the new Constitution, as agreed upon by the Federal Convention, and were intended to build public and political support for the newly constructed Constitution.
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Frequently asked questions
The Federalist Papers were a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, that appeared in New York newspapers, primarily, the Independent Journal and the New York Packet, between October of 1787 and August of 1788.
The Federalist Papers were written to build public and political support for the newly constructed Constitution.
The Federalists were those who supported ratification of the Constitution. They were faced with forceful Anti-Federalist opposition to a strong national government.
The Federalists published a series of 85 articles in New York City newspapers in which they advocated ratification of the Constitution. They also promised to add amendments specifically protecting individual liberties.
The Anti-Federalists were those who opposed ratification of the Constitution. They wrote many essays of their own, but the Federalists were better organised and ultimately prevailed in state ratification debates.

























