> [!NOTE] > The Federalist Papers brilliantly defended what was in it time a revolutionary charter: the Constitution of the United States. Written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay, The Federalist Papers explains the complexities of a constitutional government -- its political structure and principles based on the inherent rights of man. Scholars have long regarded this work as a milestone in political science and a classic of American political theory. > > - Signet Classics, Introduction and Notes by Charles R. Kesler Hamilton, Madison and Jay wrote anonymously at the time under the pen name "Publius", named after one of the founders and saviors of republican Rome, Publius Valerius Publicola. The 85 Federalist Papers were published in New York newspapers beginning in October 1787. Hamilton published the collected papers in two volumes published in March and May of 1788. The Federalist Papers serve as a guide of how the Founders had understood the Constitution when they wrote it, as well as how the people of the United States had understood it when they ratified it. For anyone interested in the U.S. Constitution, this is an essential resource, and perhaps the best recommendation I can make is Paul B. Skousen's [The Federalists Papers Made Easier](https://www.amazon.com/Federalist-Papers-Made-Easier-Understanding/dp/B0BM3PPSVC). This is truly an outstanding reference as it breaks down the papers into subdivisions with ample explanations, footnotes and definitions of "archaic" words which makes reading and processing the straight text far less cumbersome. ![[federalist-papers-made-easier-front.jpg]] ![[federalist-papers-made-easier-back.jpg]]