The Federalist (later known as
The Federalist Papers) is a collection of 85 articles and essays written (under the pseudonym Publius) by
Alexander Hamilton,
James Madison, and
John Jay promoting the ratification of the
United States Constitution. Seventy-seven were published serially in
The Independent Journal and
The New York Packet between October 1787 and August 1788. A compilation of these and eight others, called
The Federalist; or, The New Constitution, was published in two volumes in 1788 by J. and A. McLean. The collection's original title was
The Federalist; the title
The Federalist Papers did not emerge until the 20th century.