Six years after the American Revolutionary War, Congressmen from 12 states ratified the United States Constitution. However, the ratification process did not go as smoothly as many would have desired, and several members of congress needed to persuade their constituents. In fact, under the pseudonym Publius, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay wrote a series of 85 papers to persuade the citizens of New York to vote in favor of the proposed Constitution.