Prominent public historian and prolific author Dr. Jude Pfister will visit the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum on Saturday at 1 p.m. to speak on the “Federalist Papers.”

The Federalist Papers are a collection of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay under the collective pseudonym “Publius.” Published between 1787 and 1788, the essays detail the framework of the new American government, defending the concepts of central sovereignty, checks and balances, and the separation of powers.

Today, the papers remain an influence for interpreting the intent of the nation’s founders during major court cases.

Pfister’s talk will reveal how the Federalist Papers were written to convince a skeptical public to support the new and untested federal government and U.S. Constitution.

“The Federalist Papers were the first war of ideas for the new country,” said Dr. Jim Higgins, executive director of the Museum. “The essays set goals for the early American government and have continued to do so to the modern day.”

Pfister is retired from the National Park Service, where he had worked in the field of historic preservation and cultural resource conservation since 1993.

He served as chief of curatorial resources at Morristown National Historical Park, where he oversaw the museum, archival and library programs. He is the author of several books, as well as multiple articles and reviews.

The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum is a teaching institution that attracts a diverse audience.

Its collections of historical Americana, 432 W. Walnut St. in Allentown, include over 35,000 three-dimensional objects, 3 million documents and more than 200,000 vintage photographs.

Admission to the program is included with general admission to the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum. Regular museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.