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The Federalist
Now considered to be one of the most significant American contributions to political thought, the Federalist Papers, eighty-five essays that supported the ratification of the new U.S. Constitution, first appeared in New York newspapers in 1787 under the pseudonym "Publius." From the moment the U.S. Constitution appeared as a document under consideration, it had been the target of attack. Alexander Hamilton responded in Federalist No. 1 that the authors would "endeavor to give a satisfactory answer to all the objections which shall have made their appearance, that may seem to have any claim to your attention." Although it was widely known that the essays were the work of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, the authors maintained their anonymity to promote discussion of the substance of the essays.
Even as these essays on central themes of federalism were still appearing in newspapers, there was significant demand for their publication in book form. The New York publishing firm J. and A. McLean released the first thirty-six essays in volume one in March 1788. Volume two completed the series and included eight additional essays when published in May of that year. While The Federalist had an impact on New York's vote for the Constitution, it had a less direct impact on the immediate issue nationwide. Several states had already voted for ratification before the book was released. By the time New York put the Constitution to vote, ten states had already ratified the document, one more than what was needed for ratification. |