The Federalist Papers

The Federalist Papers were instrumental in swaying many colonists who opposed the establishment of a stronger, more unified federal government. Its authors, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay were (and still are) among the wisest, most tested minds ever to call themselves Americans, and they used their experiences before, during, and after the American Revolution to help sway public opinion in favor of ratification of the Constitution. This compilation of the Papers, along with several seminal documents that either led to the ratification of the Constitution or precipitated its necessity, are indispensable research tools for anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of what our Founding Fathers were thinking when they seemingly went against their instinct to shed government oppression by forming yet one more large, federal government, one they hoped would have walls of protection between it and the citizens it was meant to serve.