Hamilton, Alexander The Federalist Papers are a collection of 85 essays that argue in favor of the US Constitution. The essays were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, who collaborated under the pen name Publius. They were published over the course of 1787 and 1788. Alexander Hamilton was the main author of The Federalist Papers. He was an American lawyer and political theorist who served as the principal architect of the United States government under President George Washington. Born in Caribbean islands into a family of immigrants from the Scottish lowlands, he grew up in poverty in the West Indies before moving with his parents to the colony of New York at a young age. He began writing about government policies while still in school, and later contributed articles on economics and other subjects to various newspapers and magazines. After graduating from Columbia University, he became one of the first attorneys appointed by Congress to represent the federal government. He was commissioned to write important documents for the new government including the Report on Public Credit and the Plan for the Union. In 1783, after being diagnosed with tuberculosis, he moved to France where he spent the last years of his life in good health. He died at the age of 39. In addition to being the main author of The Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton also played an important role in the creation of the United States government.