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Background. The process of establishing the first federal state and its propagandistic design is of both theoretical and practical interest. Moreover, the Federalist papers is not an individual, but a collective work of major ideologists of the late 18th century. The purpose of the study is to trace not only the logic of the authors, but also random deviations from it in the heat of controversy and the implementation of the plan, as well as the most interesting fragments of the popularizers of the federalist idea – A. Hamilton, J. Madison, J. Jay. Materials and methods. The article uses the minimum necessary biographical data of American publicists, allowing them to give some socio-psychological assessments, as well as materials from all 85 articles. Methods of socio-political analysis and comparison are used. Results. The conducted study shows a more complex structure of articles than is commonly believed, going beyond the textbook important publications No. 10, 39, 51. The first articles clearly play the role of some kind of exposition – they show the geopolitical opportunities and dangers for the emerging country in its former, non-federal state. At the same time, Articles 18–20 outline the negative experience of past confederations. Starting with publication No. 23, a positive program is given: the possibilities of a common defense for all states, a tax system, and separation of powers are considered. There is a demand for the weakening of the legislative and strengthening of the executive power, the independence of the judiciary. The final articles reveal the details of the functioning of the future mechanism of the state. Conclusions. It is impossible to make an absolutely verified conclusion about the degree of impact on contemporaries of 85 articles published in New York newspapers in late 1787 – the first half of 1788, but given the high intensity and drama of the ratification campaigns in the country and the complexity of the situation in New York itself, it does not could be insignificant. Moreover, about three dozen newspapers of that time from different states were inclined to reprint each other's materials, that is, we are dealing with the effect of a propagandistic echo.