How to Cite the Federalist Papers

The Federalist Papers were a series of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison between 1787 and 1788. Although the essays were published anonymously, we now know the writers of each essay. The intent of the Federalist Papers was to explain to New York readers the details of the proposed constitution and convince them to ratify it. Because the original Federalist Papers were originally published in the newspaper, the correct way to cite the Federalist papers is to follow the same format you would use to cite any newspaper article.

MLA Format

Begin the citation by citing the author, last name first.

In quotation marks, enter the title of the article.

Enter the name of the newspaper that the article was published in, and underline it. If “the” or “a” is the first word of the newspaper's name, omit it.

Cite the date that the article was published, printing the date first, followed by the abbreviated name of the month, and then the year. Your final citation should appear as follows:

Madison, James. “The Same Subject Continued: The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection.” New York Daily Advertiser. 22 Nov 1787.

APA Style

Begin the citation by entering the authors last name, followed by the first initial of his first name.

In parenthesis, enter the date the article was published, entering the year first, then the name of the month written in full, followed by the date.

Cite the name of the article.

Enter the name of the newspaper, in italics, followed by the page number that the article appears on. Your final citation should read as follows:

Madison, J. (1787, November 22). The Same Subject Continued: The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection. New York Daily Advertiser, p. 1.