Who wrote Federalist No. 1, the first essay in The Federalist Papers?

Alexander Hamilton wrote Federalist No. 1, the first essay in The Federalist Papers.

The essay, titled “General Introduction,” was first published in The Independent Journal on October 27, 1787. Hamilton wrote it under the shared pseudonym Publius, which was used for the entire series supporting ratification of the proposed Constitution.

The Federalist Papers were newspaper essays aimed especially at New York readers during the ratification debate. Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote the series, explaining and defending the Constitution’s proposed structure of government.

A common mix-up is assuming that each essay’s author was identified at the time. The essays appeared under “Publius,” so later historians had to determine authorship from correspondence, writing style, and surviving evidence. Hamilton wrote the first essay and many others, while Madison and Jay contributed substantial portions of the series.