Simone Lawson
The Federalist Papers were a series of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym 'Publius'. They were written to support the ratification of the Constitution, specifically in New York, and were intended to build public and political support for the newly constructed Constitution. Federal judges, when interpreting the Constitution, frequently use The Federalist Papers as a contemporary account of the intentions of the framers and ratifiers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of essays | 85 |
| Authors | Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay |
| Pseudonym | Publius |
| Publication dates | October 1787 - August 1788 |
| Publication locations | Independent Journal, New York Packet, The Daily Advertiser, New York City newspapers |
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What You'll Learn
- The Federalist Papers were written to support the ratification of the Constitution, specifically in New York
- The Federalist Papers were a series of 85 essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay
- The essays were written between October 1787 and August 1788
- The Federalist Papers were published in New York City newspapers to advocate for the ratification of the Constitution
- The Federalist Papers were crucial to the process of bolstering support for the ratification of the Constitution
The Federalist Papers were written to support the ratification of the Constitution, specifically in New York
The Federalist Papers were seen as crucial to the process of bolstering support for the Constitution's ratification. George Washington, who was sent draft versions of the first seven essays, described such publications as:
> [They] have 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 faced forceful Anti-Federalist opposition to a strong national government. The Anti-Federalists wrote many essays of their own, but the Federalists were better organised and ultimately prevailed in state ratification debates.
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The Federalist Papers were a series of 85 essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay
The Federalist Papers were written to support the ratification of the Constitution, specifically in New York. The first 77 essays were published serially in the Independent Journal, the New York Packet, and The Daily Advertiser between October 1787 and April 1788. A compilation of these 77 essays and eight others were published in two volumes as The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution.
George Washington was a key supporter of the Federalist Papers, believing that the ratification of the Constitution would depend heavily on "literary abilities, & the recommendation of it by good pens". He was sent draft versions of the first seven essays by James Madison, who revealed to Washington that he was one of the anonymous writers. Washington described the essays as having "thrown new lights upon the science of government" and believed that they would make a "lasting impression" on those who read them.
The Federalist Papers faced opposition from Anti-Federalists, who wrote many essays of their own. However, the Federalists were better organised and had strong support in the press of the day. Ultimately, they prevailed in state ratification debates.
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The essays were written between October 1787 and August 1788
The Federalist Papers were a series of eighty-five essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay under the pseudonym "Publius". The essays were written between October 1787 and August 1788, and were intended to build public and political support for the newly constructed Constitution. The Constitution had been sent to the States for ratification in September 1787, following the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.
George Washington was a key supporter of the Federalist Papers. He believed that the ratification of the Constitution would depend heavily on "literary abilities, & the recommendation of it by good pens". He was sent draft versions of the first seven essays on November 18, 1787, by James Madison, who revealed to Washington that he was one of the anonymous writers. Washington described the essays as "throwing new lights upon the science of government" and believed they were crucial to the process of bolstering support for the Constitution's ratification.
The Federalist Papers were specifically important in New York, where separate ratification proceedings took place in each state. However, by the time the series was well underway, a number of important states had already ratified the Constitution, including Pennsylvania on December 12. New York held out until July 26.
The Federalists faced forceful Anti-Federalist opposition to a strong national government. However, 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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The Federalist Papers were published in New York City newspapers to advocate for the ratification of the Constitution
The Federalist Papers were a series of eighty-five essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay under the pseudonym "Publius". The essays were written between October 1787 and August 1788, and were intended to build public and political support for the newly constructed Constitution.
The Federalists faced forceful Anti-Federalist opposition to a strong national government. However, they were better organised, advocated positive changes by proposing an alternative to the Articles of Confederation, and had strong support in the press of the day. They ultimately prevailed in state ratification debates.
George Washington was a strong supporter of the Federalist Papers, believing that they were crucial to the process of bolstering support for the Constitution's ratification. He described them as "throwing new lights upon the science of Government" and giving "the rights of man a full and fair discussion".
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The Federalist Papers were crucial to the process of bolstering support for the ratification of the Constitution
The Federalist Papers were specifically aimed at gaining support for the Constitution in New York. They were published in New York City newspapers and serially in the Independent Journal, the New York Packet, and The Daily Advertiser. By the time the series was underway, several important states had already ratified the Constitution, including Pennsylvania on 12 December. New York held out until 26 July, and it was here that The Federalist Papers were most important.
The Federalists were faced with strong opposition from Anti-Federalists, who wrote many essays of their own. However, the Federalists were better organised and had strong support in the press. They ultimately prevailed in state ratification debates. George Washington was a strong supporter of the Constitution and believed that The Federalist Papers and similar publications were crucial to gaining support for its ratification. He described them 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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Frequently asked questions
There were 85 Federalist Papers.
The Federalist Papers were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.
They wrote under the pseudonym 'Publius'.
The Federalist Papers were written in favour of the new Constitution and intended to build public and political support for it.
The Federalist Papers were successful in that they helped to build support for the ratification of the Constitution. However, it is questionable whether they were the main reason for its ratification.
