The Federalist Papers

Writing the Constitution was one thing; getting the states to approve it was another. Many Americans feared a strong national government would become a new tyranny.

To win them over, three men wrote 85 essays in New York newspapers under the shared pen name "Publius." These essays, the Federalist Papers, supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution^Q83. One of their writers was James Madison; the others were Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. The Federalist Papers were important^Q84 because they helped people understand the U.S. Constitution: how it would work and why it would protect liberty. Judges still quote them today.

James Madison is famous^Q88 as one of the writers of the Federalist Papers. He did so much to shape the Constitution that he is called the "Father of the Constitution," and he became the fourth president.

An immigrant born in the Caribbean, Alexander Hamilton is also famous^Q89 as one of the writers of the Federalist Papers. He wrote 51 of the 85 essays, including the famous defense of life terms for judges. The states approved the Constitution in 1788.