The Federalist Papers first appeared in 1787 as a series of letters to New York newspapers exhorting voters to ratify the proposed Constitution of the United States and the fate of the nation quite literally hung in the balance. Writing in concert as "Publius, " Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison urged voters to ratify the proposed Constitution of the United States. A masterpiece of political theory, The Federalist Papers remains important and vital reading for anyone seeking to understand the tensions at the heart of the United States.