The Federalist Papers a. reassured people that the rights of states would not overpower the federal government. b. were a series of essays that defended the Constitution. c. contained plays, stories, and essays that defended the Constitution. d. opposed the Constitution by defending the natural rights of individuals.

The Federalist Papers were a series of essays that defended the Constitution (Option b).

The Federalist Papers consisted of 85 essays, published in 1787, which purpose was to defend the newly proposed U. S. Constitution, that had already been harshly criticized at the Philadelphia Convention, and in order to be ratified, it needed the approval of nine of the thirteen states in the upcoming convention.

In these papers, the authors (Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay) addressed constitutional principles, explained the deficiencies of the Articles of Confederation and the details of the proposed Constitution, arguing that its ratification would preserve the Union and empower the federal government to act firmly and coherently in the national interest.