Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay used the pseudonym Publius when publishing The Federalist Papers.
The essays appeared in New York newspapers from 1787 to 1788 during the debate over ratifying the proposed Constitution. Hamilton wrote the largest share, Madison wrote many of the most influential essays, and Jay contributed a smaller number because of illness.
Using one shared pen name presented the essays as a unified argument rather than a collection of competing personal campaigns. Publius referred to Publius Valerius Publicola, an ancient Roman statesman associated with the founding of the Roman Republic.
The Federalist Papers were not the Constitution itself and did not legally bind the states. They were persuasive essays explaining and defending the proposed system, and they remain an important source for interpreting its original arguments.