On October 27, 1787 a New York newspaper published the very first article of a collection of essays that appeared under the pen name “Publius.”
These anonymously written essays were a product of the New York Constitution ratification debates, but they also appeared in newspapers in other states. It was later discovered that James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton were the authors of what became popularly embraced as the Federalist Papers. The series continued through May 1788, by which time a total of 85 articles had been published!
Courts across America’s history have relied on the Federalist Papers for explanations of the original intent of the US Constitution. James Madison described this collection as “the most authentic exposition of the text of the federal Constitution as understood by the body which prepared and the authority which accepted it.”
The Federalist Papers provide context, insight, and authority to the Constitution in an era when Americans’ desperately lack Constitutional knowledge. Make it a part of your study of the Constitution for a deeper insight into what this important document means to our nation!
