What essay collection defended ratification of the United States Constitution in 1787–1788?

The Federalist Papers defended ratification of the United States Constitution in 1787–1788.

The collection consists of 85 essays published under the shared pen name “Publius.” Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote the essays to explain and support the proposed Constitution during the ratification debate in New York.

The essays addressed major constitutional questions, including the need for a stronger union, the design of the federal government, the separation of powers, and protections against faction. Hamilton wrote the largest number, while Madison contributed several of the most influential essays on republican government and federalism.

The Federalist Papers were originally newspaper articles, not an official part of the Constitution. Their arguments later became important sources for interpreting the document, although they do not legally control the meaning of constitutional provisions. The collection is often confused with Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, which argued for independence from Britain more than a decade earlier.