With the American revolutionaries in discord following victory at Yorktown and the Paris Peace Treaty of 1783, the proposed federal Constitution of 1787 faced an uncertain future when it was sent to the states for ratification. Sensing an historic moment, three authors--Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay--circulated 85 essays among their fellow statesmen, arguing for a strong federal union.

Next to the Constitution itself, The Federalist papers are the most referenced statement of the Founding Fathers' intentions in forming the U.S. government. This book takes a fresh look at the papers in the context of the times in which they were created.