The Federalist Papers comprise 85 essays.
The essays were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the shared pseudonym Publius. They appeared in New York newspapers from October 1787 through 1788 to persuade readers to support ratification of the proposed United States Constitution.
The first 77 essays were initially published serially, while eight additional essays were later included in the collected volumes. Hamilton wrote the largest number, Madison wrote many of the best-known essays, and Jay contributed the first five and number 64.
The collection is sometimes confused with the 77 essays first published in newspapers or with the 85th and final essay alone. The conventional total is 85. Federalist No. 10, by Madison, discusses factions, while Federalist No. 51 explains checks and balances and the separation of powers.