The Federalist: The Essential Essays, by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay

Considered the United States’ greatest contribution to the “canon” of western political theory, The Federalist is a series of 85 essays first published between the early fall of 1787 and the spring of 1788 supporting the ratification of the Constitution. In a new edition of this work, Jack Rakove presents the most critical and frequently assigned Federalist essays with an introduction to current scholarly thinking about the Constitution and the role these essays played in its adoption. Headnotes for each essay help identify the specific arguments being made in response to Anti-Federalist concerns, making the collection’s import more readily apparent to students. Related writings by Hamilton and Madison help set the Federalist in historical context.