After declaring independence in 1776, the revolting American states scrambled to organize effectively. The closest thing to a national government was the Continental Congress, which set about the work of waging war and instituting a government at the same time.
In November of 1777, they submitted the Articles of Confederation to the states as the basis of government. It took a while longer for all the states to ratify it. This document governed the US from March of 1781 to March of 1789, when the Constitution of the United States of America went into effect.
The Constitution enhanced the powers of the federal government, which at the time were few, so it was a hard sell for most of the newly independent states. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay wrote a series of essays under the pen name Publius arguing in favor of the Constitution on various points.
They were published in New York City newspapers starting on October 27, 1787, and reprinted in many others throughout the US. These essays, The Federalist Papers, are still referred to today by lawyers, judges, and others to argue a wide range of views on the proper implementation of the Constitution and the intent of its framers (as if there were only one).
No, I haven’t read them yet; I’m getting to it— Geez!
Sources:
The Federalist Papers- Library of Congress
The Articles of Confederation- The National Archives