Final answer:
The Federalist Papers were written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, not John Gray, to support the new Constitution and refute Anti-Federalist positions. Their works emphasized the importance of a strong central government with checks and balances.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that The Federalist Papers were written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Gray is false. The correct authors were James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay. These influential papers were written to educate the public about the benefits of the new Constitution and to argue against the weaknesses in the Anti-Federalist position. The writers sought to assure the public that a strong government was necessary for various reasons, particularly in foreign affairs, and to convince their readers that the proposed structure of government, with its separation of powers, provided sufficient checks and balances to prevent any one branch from becoming tyrannical. These essays played a critical role in swaying public opinion in favor of adopting the Constitution.