Ratifying The Constitution Dbq Essay

In the years 1787 and 1788 right after the Constitutional Convention, many people argued over the context of the constitution. The ratification started when the Congress turned the Constitution over to the state legislatures. Because most of the framers had already decided to discard the Articles of Confederation when drafting the Constitution, the lack of people following the articles made the legislatures feel that an unanimous vote was unnecessary. The delegates agreed that approval from only 9 of the 13 states would be adequate to ratify the United States Constitution. However, the process to ratifying the constitution was difficult including groups of people and regions who supported or opposed the ratification.

The Public's opinion of the Constitution was divided into two separate groups known as the Federalists and the Antifederalists. Many of not all Federalists were wealthy and well educated with leaders like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. They were people who advocated a proposal or theory that of an orderly, efficient government could protect their economic status. The Federalists were also very well organized, also in many of the states they were often in control of the elections of ratifying

(other wise known as the poor) The leaders of the Antifederalist were people like Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry. Although the leaders held more power and wealth than the people who followed them, Henry was notorious for fighting for individual liberties, such as a Bill of Rights. Which was one of the Antifederalists main objectives because it would give them basic liberties. The AntiFederalists were also scared of the power a central government would have. Many Antifederalists also held a strong belief that a republican government would not be able to rule something as big as America,since the most successful regions that were ran by republicans tended to be rather