A Brief Overview of The Federalist Papers

When the proposed Constitution experienced objections against its ratification, Alexander Hamilton began writing essays to defend it and explain its contents. He was joined by James Madison and John Jay in composing these a essays, which were then collected into a book entitled "The Federalist Papers". These 85 essays explained the new government in detail to provide a framework of what a free government would be like. Of importance were their explanations of the checks and balances that were included among the three proposed branches of government. Without these essays, it is doubtful that the Constitution would have been approved.