Federalist, The, is a series of 85 letters that urged ratification of the United States Constitution. The letters were written to newspapers by the American statesmen Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. The letters sought primarily to influence the New York ratifying convention, and they were printed in several New York newspapers. All except eight essays appeared in 1787 and 1788 under the signature “Publius.” Hamilton wrote 51 of the essays, Madison 29, and Jay 5. The collected essays appeared in book form as The Federalist.
The Federalist authors used both logical argument and appeal to prejudice. They emphasized the weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation, the dangers in British sea power and Spanish intrigue, the desirability and need of a stronger central government, and the safeguards of the new Constitution.
The authors did not defend every point in the proposed Constitution. But they argued that it was the best document on which agreement could be reached. They asserted that the checks and balances system of the Constitution would create a strong government and still protect the states’ rights. The Federalist papers greatly influenced acceptance of the Constitution, and they are still important in interpreting it.
