The Federalist Papers

What events led to the drafting of the Constitution and The Federalist Papers written in its defense? Why were the Federalists so fixated on replacing the Articles of Confederation at any cost?

Imagine what the United States would be like today if the Constitution was never ratified and the Articles of Confederation were allowed to continue. Would America still grow into a global superpower? Would the United States more closely resemble the European Union? Or would the country even still exist in any recognizable form?

How do the authors define the terms “republic,” “democracy,” and “Federalist”? In what ways are the definitions of these words different to 18th-century readers than they are to 21st-century readers, if at all?