The Federalist: The Famous Papers On The Principles Of American Government

Plot

"At the height of the debates over the adoption of the Constitution in 1787-88, a series of articles began to appear in a New York journal. Their author, calling himself "Publius," urged the ratification of the new constitution, offering- in Thomas Jefferson's words- "the best commentary on the principles of government which ever was written." These eighty-five articles, commonly known as "The Federalist Papers," were, in reality, the work of three men: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. Their purpose was to persuade convention voters-and ultimately the general public-that the old government, as it existed under the Articles of Confederation, was defective and that the proposed constitution, with its three branches of government, was the best means of realizing the ideals of justice and individual right. These papers were soon collected and printed in book form in 1788 by John and Archibald McLean under the title The Federalist. ".