Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay
Le Fédéraliste
(Paris: Buisson, 1792).

The Federalist, published as articles in three New York newspapers between October 1787 and April 1788, sought to persuade state lawmakers to ratify the new federal Constitution. Initiated by Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) in response to criticism of the document, Hamilton also wrote the majority of the essays. In these emerged his position in favor of judicial review, while James Madison (1751-1836) famously advanced arguments for minority rights and a political system based on checks and balances. John Jay (1745-1829) addressed the need for a unified federal government, in part to protect against foreign powers.

The first collected edition of essays was published in March 1788 by John and Archibald McLean, though new essays were still appearing in the newspapers. A second and final volume was published in May. The Federalist probably had a limited impact even on the New York ratification debates, but it came to be recognized as one of the greatest works of American political theory. Its significance was also noticed in Europe: in 1792, during the French Revolution, The Federalist was translated and printed in Paris. This edition, the first to be printed after 1788, was the first to reveal the names of the authors, visible on the title page.