<P> The Federalist ( later known as The Federalist Papers ) is a collection of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton , James Madison , and John Jay under the pseudonym `` Publius '' to promote the ratification of the United States Constitution . The first 77 of these essays were published serially in the Independent Journal , the New York Packet , and The Daily Advertiser between October 1787 and April 1788 . A two - volume compilation of these 77 essays and eight others was published as The Federalist : A Collection of Essays , Written in Favour of the New Constitution , as Agreed upon by the Federal Convention , September 17 , 1787 by publishing firm J. & A. McLean in March and May 1788 . The collection was commonly known as The Federalist until the name The Federalist Papers emerged in the 20th century . </P>
in the 1780s the publication of the federalist papers was intended to
promote the ratification of the United States Constitution